Enter the Dragon
by Dragon-Master-Hiei
Summary: My normal everyday routine's suddenly thrown upside down when I become what's called a Dragon Knight! Can I learn to control my new dragon half before I eat everyone?
1. Prologue

"Enter the Dragon"

By: Hiei Jaganshi

Quick note/Yes, I understand the title for this is a Bruce Lee movie... and don't ask how I know who Bruce Lee is. I'm not answering that./

Prologue

I have felt the power of a dragon before. Multiple times when I fused my power with that of the Kokuryuuha. I have also fallen under the power of it before when I was possessed by it... and that was only a kit.

I fear what the Kokuryuuha could do to me if it ever turned on me and decided to kill me. It truly does scare me. But even with the risk of the dragon over powering me... or when I fuse my power with it the risk that I could lose control and die from the power... the risk I've told no one about... even with those risk... I love the rush of the power from the dragon.

I've almost always loved dragons... I never thought I'd be one.

I was visiting my adopted mother and family on Gunsmoke. I had mastered teleporting between the Ningenkai and Gunsmoke. Makai was the key. If I teleported to Makai I could get to either one.

Vash was my adopted father and Sora my sister. Vash and me didn't get along too well but lately we were becoming a little close (I'm beginning to think it was the bag of 300 donuts I bought him for Christmas). He says the reason was that I'm over seven hundred years old and he's only a little over two hundred and that a son was suppose to be _alot _younger then the dad and not the other way around. But we've gotten closer. At least he's not telling Sora next chance you get, make sure you kill him'. Which brings me to the next member in my strange little family.

Sora and me are really close. When we first met we threw smart remarks at each other and I locked her out of my bedroom and we both decided the other was alright. She has a camera obsession that can be slightly annoying. Nothing escapes her and her camera. Not even me.

Matt, my mother, is... well, Matt. There are times when she's the last person I want to be around but I have no choice and there are times when she's the only one I want to talk to. Most of the time she's immature and childish and drags me off into trouble (Which most of the time I enjoy the fights and trying to get us out of trouble. It keeps me in shape). Then there are the times where she can be the smartest person in the world and you know you'd be safe with her until she gets bored and looks for trouble again. There are times when she's the loving caring mother that I never had in my life and there are times when she knows there's something wrong and she won't leave you alone until you tell her and she helps you out then there are the times when she's a whiny brat. Her and Naoko never got along when they first met and just now they've calmed down. (I think it was mainly Matt who didn't get along. I think Naoko just didn't care.)

And that brings me to the person that lives in the Ningenkai and one of the only reasons I haven't gone back to Makai.

Naoko Youko. She's Kurama's half sister and my life partner. It's ironic that when we first met I was getting ready to kill her. She hit me with her rose whip and I respected her and swore when I killed her I would make it fast and I hadn't even seen who hit me when I swore that. I swore that as I hit a tree from the attack.

Ignoring the pain I glared at the demon who hit me and I saw... someone who made my heart pound and the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Still, I didn't let these new emotions effect me on the outside. I acted cold and heartless to her as well as everyone else. I tried multiple attempts to take her life but failed each time (Mostly because Kurama managed to appear each time and I didn't want to cross him).

I sat outside her bedroom window, hidden from her view and thought about the new emotions that confused me and realized I wouldn't be able to kill her even if no one was around to stop me.

Naoko and I have been together for four years now and married for one but I really don't think Naoko would be happy if I told the story she's been writing instead of one of my own, so...

She had gone to school so I had some free time to myself and I got bored. I teleported to Makai and then to Gunsmoke. I stood dazed for a second and then teleported to Matt's house. Teleporting to Gunsmoke was hard but I could do it. I walked inside and was tackled by Matt.

"HIEI!"

The only noise that came from me was the sound of air being knocked from my lungs.

"Hiei!" Sora cried. "We've missed you!" She ran over. "Mom! I wanna hug Hiei too!"

I teleported to the other side of the kitchen and dodged when Matt tried to tackle me again. "Hn." I smirked. Sora ran over and hugged me. I smiled. "Yo."

She let go and looked up then smiled back. "Hi." Sora was thirteen and really smart. She was the one who taught me how to shoot a gun when I need to carry one around because of something that happened about a year and a half ago.

"Hey Mom," I called to Matt, who was whimpering, thinking I forgot about her.

She perked up.

"So, what have I missed?" I asked.

"Nothing really," Sora replied.

"Hmm," I replied, zoning out.

Sora ran over and grabbed her new camera, aiming it at me. I gave her a look and she lowered it sheepishly.

I yawned and walked to my room. I fell backwards onto my bed.

Matt ran in and jumped onto the edge of my bed. She purred and curled up on my chest. I knew she was there but I was already asleep.


	2. What the hell's wrong with me!

Chapter 1: "What the hell's wrong with me!"

I woke up and found Matt curled up inside my shirt. I didn't care but her presence was annoying me for some reason.

I walked outside and sighed. The hot weather of Gunsmoke... As a fire youkai I'm sure you know I enjoyed it. I began to walk through town but soon I went into one of my 'don't touch me I don't want to be bothered' moods. Matt quickly noticed the change.

She climbed onto my shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I didn't know what it was.

"Liiiiiiarrrr..." she accused.

"Hn," I replied, using my favorite word. (Or sound for you baka ningens who _love_ to argue) I looked at her and was suddenly overcome by the urge to grabbed Matt and...err... eat... her... How easy it would to catch her if she ran. I wondered how she would taste and then my hand twitched... Then it hit me. What the hell was I thinking? I just ate so I shouldn't be hungry. I could go a week or two without food so why was I so hungry all of a sudden and why would I eat my adopted mother of all things?

"H-Hiei...? W-why're you looking at me like that?" she asked nervously.

I knocked her off my shoulder and teleported to the Geoplant without another word. "What the hell's wrong with me!" I asked myself, scowling. Whatever it was... it couldn't be good.


	3. This is new

Chapter 2: "This... is... new..."

I sat down on the branch and leaned against the tree. I chewed on my lower lip and thought about this. My shoulder-blade itched and I rubbed it against the tree, absent-mindedly. The itching stopped and I closed my eyes. Time went by slower in the Ningenkai then it did here so it would be a long time before Naoko came home.

My shoulder itched again. I growled and scratched it. My claws felt sharper then they normally were. I stopped and studied them for a moment. They _were_ sharper then they normally were. "Hn... that's strange." My claws always stayed the same length.

My shoulder continued to itch and I stood up and jumped from the branch. I walked over to a small lake and looked in it, wondering if I could just jump in it and wash up really quick and the itching would stop. What I saw startled me.

My normal crimson eyes looked... cat-like. The first thing that came into my mind was Youko Naoko's scarlet cat-like eyes. (If you don't know Youko Naoko is Naoko's other half... like Kurama and Youko Kurama) They looked closely alike... I wondered what Naoko's reaction would be if she saw them. "Damn it..." I muttered.

I sighed and studied my reflection carefully. My fangs were longer and sharper like my claws. "...'Wonder if I'm turning into a cat..." Then a scary thought hit me. What if Youko Naoko was trying to possess me instead of Naoko?

"This isn't good." I forced myself to calm down. It wasn't Youko... Youko was dead. She wouldn't come back to get me... Okay, so maybe she would. Youko Naoko hated me.

"It's not her. It has something to do with me." I sighed and thought of recent battles. None could have changed me like this. Then I wondered if Matt knew something. Chances are she did... she almost always had something to do with weird transformations.

If worse came to worse I could ask Hitsugaya. My body heated up as I thought about him. I didn't like him at all.

Not lately anyways... Not since he brought up a little problem.

"What...! What do you mean I have to kill Matt!" I shouted.

Hitsugaya was shorter than me by a few inches. He stared at me with cool blue eyes. "You have no choice. If you don't then it means the end of the world. All you love ones will die if you don't... even that little fox girl of yours."

That pissed me off. I drew my katana. "Don't drag them into this," I said coldly but with enough anger in my voice so that he knew I was mad. "Why do _I_ have to?"

"It's fate. You--"

"Fate's not real. It's what you do that determines what happens."

Hitsu sighed. "Whatever. Look, Matt will come back. She has to become Zollen in the past and fix something, that's all."

"Hn, _I'll_ decide if I kill her or not. No one else." I walked out.

I'm sure you get the idea... I have to train Matt with the sword and when we finish her training and fight for the first time I find she's better then me and I don't like being outdone... when we fight she doesn't fight back and that's when I kill her...

I let the air around me heat up more. "I bet he might have something to do with this too..." I growled. My shoulders began to burn slightly. "What the--?" Pain shot through them. I doubled over, my arms wrapped around me and touched my shoulder blades. Something was coming out of them and it hurt like hell. "W-what's--" I cried out in pain as something burst from my right shoulder blade. I felt new muscles ripple and twitch and then something burst from my left shoulder blade. I laid there, not wanting to move. My shoulders continued to hurt but not nearly as bad as a moment ago. After ten minutes I finally started to get up and saw something move on either side of me.

I froze. I stared straight again, waiting but nothing happened. I went to get up again and it happened again. I pulled my bandana off and used my Jagan eye to look around me. I saw me... with two wings coming from my shoulder blades. "What the hell...?" I looked to my left and saw a huge leathery black and blood red bat-like wing. It moved slightly and I felt new muscles ripple. I looked over my shoulder and felt with my right hand... I traced the wing all the way to my shoulder. I saw where flesh and wing connected. I felt the wing and the muscles belonging to it.

The wing was mine.

I looked to my right shoulder.

The same thing.

Every time I moved a certain way the wings would move too. "Well... This... is... new..." I spent the next twenty minutes messing around, trying to get the hang of moving my new wings.

"So this is what Naoko went through...?" I muttered. "I wonder if hers hurt that bad."

I learned in the next few minutes that there was a difference between my and Naoko's wings.

"Why won't they go away?" I asked myself, growling. How did Naoko get her wings to appear and disappear? I sighed. "Great..." I touched my shoulder again and pulled my hand back when it touched something sticky and warm.

Blood. "That explains why it hurt so much..." I closed my eyes and grabbed my chakra necklace, using my chakra to heal my shoulders. Again I thanked Naoko for teaching me how to use my chakra and making me the necklace. Naoko was the only person who ever taught me something before I was thrown into it. As with my sword I was given it when I was three and thrown into a fight. With the dragon I taught myself by trying again and again to summon it and not caring for how badly hurt I got. Even if I was exhausted I continued to try to master it. I studied the necklace again. A black crystal shaped like a dragon. It fit and I prized it more then my katana, though I'm not sure if I told Naoko yet. I wondered what she would think if I went home looking like this.

I looked at my wings again and flexed my shoulders slightly, they moved. I flexed the new muscles and the wing flared out. "...cool..." I estimated the wing was about six and a half feet long. I practiced moving my wings and soon figured out how to flap them, fold them, open them and move them individually.

I flapped them a few times and the movement ripped the remains of my shirt off. "Damn it." I folded them, my shoulders still sore. I walked over and picked a piece of my shirt up. There was no way in hell I could fix it. I closed my eyes. I wanted to test them out before I asked Matt. I unfolded them and flapped them a few times.

I smirked and flapped them harder, rising five feet in the air then I flapped them less and slowly fell to the ground.

"Easy enough," was what I said but I was pretty wrong. And yes, I did just admit I was 'wrong', baka.


	4. I think I'm getting the hang of it

Chapter 3: "I think I'm getting the hang of it..."

I leapt into the air, my wings folded tightly behind me until I went to land on a branch. They unfolded slightly to help slow me as I landed. Perfect. I grinned. "It's all too easy." I leapt to another branch and the same thing happened. It was instinct that made them move. I had never had a pair of wings before but I sure as hell knew how to use them or at least my body knew how to use them perfectly.

I looked to my next perch and jumped. I didn't even think about it like always and I landed, my wings fixing any problems that their extra weight gave me. I looked to another branch and jumped again. When I almost slipped off and fell forward my wings flapped twice until I was balanced again.

I looked forward and saw I was on the edge of the Geoplant. I jumped up and flared my wings then flapped them. It was easy. They caught the wind and I soared up. Laughing, I remembered when Naoko grabbed me as we raced and took me flying with her. Maybe I'd take her flying...

I didn't care how I was going to get down, I was happy just flying right now. I closed my eyes and felt the wind under my new wings and flapped them a few times. I was mostly relying on the updrafts to keep me up. I doubted if I could keep myself up for this long. The limbs were new and I would have to build up muscles and work on stamina before I could fly like Naoko, Kuronue or Silrowen. "I think I'm getting the hang of it though," I told myself. "I'll be flying like them in no time."

Then the wind changed directions and I was un-prepared. It caught the under side of my right wing and sent me into a spin. I couldn't straighten out and every time I thought I could the wind changed and sent me spinning in a new direction. I caught sight of the ground and saw I wasn't more then twenty feet from it. I swore vividly and knew I was going to crash.

I didn't know how to crash but I knew how to land if I fell. My guess was it was like falling. I spun around, trying to get my legs out in front of me but knew I wouldn't have time. Then the wind caught my wings again and sent me flying into the air in a roll again.

"Damn it!" I again tried to stop the spin and get my legs in front of me so I could land on my feet. (Urameshi's told me a few times I remind him of a cat...) I realized I was upside down and twisted my body so my feet would touch the ground first then I hit the ground.


	5. Or maybe I need more practice

Chapter 4: "Or maybe I need more practice…"

I had no idea how long I was out for but when I did wake up it took me a few moments. I swore quietly and tried to feel where I was hurt the worse. I felt a tingling that I was sure would turn into white-hot pain if I moved. I healed that first and realized it was my right wing as the bones moved back into place almost painlessly.

The next wound was my leg. It was broken and I healed that carefully, making sure it healed right. Only when I was sure the others were just bruises did I stand.

My head was pounding and I wiped blood from my eyes. I put three cool fingers against my head and healed that. Then I wiped the remaining blood away. I dusted sand off of my black pants and tried getting it off of my arms and chest but failed. "Or maybe I need more practice..." I said, scolding myself mentally for my earlier comment.

Nothing was easy at first. The only thing I _ever_ found was easy was setting things on fire and I discovered that when I wasn't even a year old and I sneezed and set one of the bandits on fire. From there on I could just set things on fire whenever I wanted.

I folded my wings and opened my Jagan, searching for Matt. What it looks like to look through my Jagan... it's kind of hard to explain but what the hell have I got to lose. It's not as hard to explain as it is with what it looks like when I look with both, my Jagan and my normal eyes. It's like looking through tinted glass. It depends on what I'm looking at. If it's an object it tinted green and if it's a person it's most of the time clear but if I don't know the person that well it's tinted blue.

I teleported to where Matt was and looked at her. "Mom, I think we have a problem..." I suddenly felt over whelming instincts take control and crouched then jumped at Matt (Who was still in her sable form). Matt squeaked and took off running and I followed, not using much speed but enjoying the chase.

"H-Hiei! Stop it! You're scaring me!" Matt cried.

I growled and said in a voice that was mixed with a growl. "Good! Now come here!" I ran faster and then crouched and jumped at Matt.

Luckily she ducked into a small hole in the wall and I ran into the wall, snapping out of whatever had taken control. "Oww..." I could hear Matt gasping for air inside the hole. "M-Mom...?"

She whined and ducked farther into the hole.

"Hey, I'm fine now..." The truth was I was just as shaken as Matt was scared.

Matt looked out of the hole and stared. She climbed out and up my leg and chest to my shoulder. "Cool!" she said simply. I sighed. So maybe she didn't know.


	6. Great

Chapter 5: "Great..."

I sighed as I held onto a branch and flapped my wings. Stretching them felt good but the whole point was to build up stamina and muscle. I had been at it for an hour and was getting really tired now.

I jumped from the branch, flaring my wings to slow my fall so I landed softly. I teleported back to the house and walked to my bed. I fell on my bed, laying on my stomach and folded my wings. I quickly fell asleep but sensed Matt (in her human form for the moment) come in and cover me up with a blanket, making sure my wings were covered.

I felt a strange feeling, one I knew I had missed when I was a child... the feeling of being safe and protected by your mother's side. I knew Kurama and Naoko grew up without a mother and probably felt the same way but at least they grew up with each other... I had no one.

I was happy now. I had my family back home. Naoko, my step-daughter Silrowen, Kuronue who was like a brother... Matt, who I called my mother, Sora who was my sister, and Vash who was like my father. And speaking of fathers...

When I woke up I heard an annoyingly familiar voice. Jigoku. "Great..." I growled and got up. I looked around for a shirt to put on and saw Matt had left one on a chair. I picked it up and saw it had holes for my wings. I somehow managed to get my wings through the holes and put the shirt on.

I walked out and saw Sora glaring at Jigoku. Jigoku had jet black hair like mine and crimson eyes, slightly duller than mine. He was built almost exactly like me and you could unfortunately tell we were related. Jigoku was my blood father. I hated him and he hated me. We had our reasons (or at least I did) but I'm not telling.

"Hiei's up!" Sora said, happily. "Whoa! Hiei, you look so cool!"

I didn't show Sora any sign that I heard her but I didn't need to. She knew me well enough to know I heard her. I looked at Jigoku and hissed quietly.

That caught his attention. He turned and looked at me, his crimson eyes widened. "When did you become part dragon?"

I growled and made my way outside. I wouldn't be in the house while he was.

I flapped my wings and took to the air. I was getting the hang of things. Flying was becoming easier but landing was still hard. I didn't care. I just needed to get away from everything for the moment.

Matt liked Jigoku and I couldn't kill him because of that... that was probably the only reason he was still alive. Other wise I would have killed him by now.

I sighed as I flew lower to the ground. My mind was else where and I wasn't even thinking as I threw my legs out in front of me and ran to keep from falling forward. I slowed my pace and came to a stop.

I was in the middle of the desert, no where really until I saw a familiar tree. Just one tree and a small pool of water in the middle of the desert. I sighed. This was where I retreated to when Knives (My crazy adopted uncle) changed me into a Plant. He built a machine to talk with other world and brought me here by mistake (or so I thought). Then as he watched Matt find me and adopt me he decided to make the 'experiment' more interesting by injecting Plant genes in me. A Plant is like a source of power and I'm not talking about things like roses or trees. I have to carry a gun around with me to keep the thing called an Angel Arm from going off randomly. Since Knives did that I swore I would kill him but this is the tree I sat in after he first injected the Plant blood into me and changed me into a Plant.

Why did I fly here? Because since that day it became one of my little alone places where I liked to think. I also went there if I wanted to be alone. Today it was both.

I sighed and leapt into the tree, my wings moving to help me balance. I crouched, my hands barely touching the branch. I stood up and looked around. The tree was the only one here. It was in the middle of no where and I had gotten over the feeling of being out in the open here. I flexed one wing and studied it. The bone and claw on the edge were black and the thin membrane was blood red and I could see thousands of tiny veins through out it.

"Weird..." I mumbled. I touched the wing carefully. It felt leathery but slightly different. I folded it again and sat down on the branch. "So... one) I have wings. Two) I have _no_ idea why I have them. Three) I have longer claws, longer fangs and cat-like eyes. What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I getting all this all of a sudden?" I put a hand to my head and my Jagan closed by itself to protect itself from my hand. I let my cool fingers rest against it and closed my normal eyes. My cool fingers felt good against my closed Jagan.

I smiled grimly. "Heh... None of this can be good..." I remained silent for a while then stood. "I better get training." I jumped down and landed. I walked away from the tree and started flapping my wings and took to the air. I just wanted to get the hang of flying for now. The desert was huge and I could fly around without worrying someone might see me.

I was getting tired but I forced myself to keep going. I was getting close to town now. I flew lower and threw my legs out in front of me. I ran to keep from falling forward like last time except I didn't fold my wings in time and they caught the wind and I was thrown backwards onto my back.

"Damn..." I got up and dusted myself off. I took to the air and decided to try to land on the roof of the house. I could get in my room by climbing into my window and no one would know if I was home or not.

I kept up high so no one would see me and looked for our house. After a few moments of searching I found it and then after a few more moments of circling I went down to land. I slowed my descent and estimated that I was no more then five feet from the roof. I kept one leg straight and the other one bent slightly as my right foot touched the roof. I put my other foot down and went to fold my wings but the wind tugged at them and pulled them away from me.

"Oh no you don't. Not again...!" I reached back and grabbed my left wing then the wind picked up and ended up easily blowing me through my open window. I landed on my upper back, shoulders and head, my feet still outside my window.

"..." I sighed and pulled my feet in through the window. "...I really need to learn to avoid being blown around like that..." I said to myself. Sora opened my door, allowing Matt to come in. She ran over and purred.

"Hiei, what happened?"

I felt that same feeling take over as I stared at Matt's sable form. I crouched and hissed as Matt's eyes widened and she started shaking. "H-Hiei...?"

Her fear made everything all the better... or worse would be the right word now. "Come here, rat!" I said in the same growling voice that I had last time.

Matt yelped and took off running. I pounced but missed and I quickly scrambled up and after her again. She ran out of my room and down the hall, rolling down the steps. I ran down the hallway, my hands ready to catch me and push myself back up if I fell. Matt hit the bottom step, got back up and ran again.

I jumped the staircase and landed in a crouch. "Come out, come out wherever you are."

Matt ran through the living room into the kitchen. "Heeeeeeelllllppp!" I ran in after her and hissed as I came face to face with Jigoku, Matt shaking in his shirt.

"Hiei..." he said in a warning tone as if he was my superior. I growled at his tone. "Leave Matt alone."

"Hand her over and I _might_ consider letting you live."

"No," he replied.

I growled louder now and... Jigoku hit me really hard on the head with a newspaper.

I blinked and swore, snapping out of it. What had just happened started fading from my mind. "What the hell was that for?" I asked coldly, my hand twitching, wanting to draw my sword.

"You almost ate Mattsuko," he said in an irritatingly cool voice that honestly didn't sound like mine and he walked away, leaving me standing there, watching.

The muscle under my left eye twitched slightly as I turned around, swearing mentally at Jigoku with every swear word I knew. I sighed and walked upstairs to my room again. No one came in that night...


	7. Fight fire with fire?

Chapter 6: "Fight fire with fire? You mean like this, right?"

I climbed through my window after sleeping on the roof that night. I perched on the window's edge and sighed. I pulled my wings tight against my back and dropped quietly to the floor. I kept quiet as I grabbed my cloak and climbed back out my window. Vash had been gone since I came here and maybe long before I came. I began to wonder where he was and if he was out looking for Knives. I went to put my cloak on but paused as my wings got in the way. I swore vividly in a whisper and tossed it back in the window.

I looked down at all the humans walking the streets. Silently, I wondered what they were doing. My Jagan opened and I easily slipped past one humans pathetic mental barrier. I went through his thoughts.

Work problems… money problems… life problems… Is that all he thought about? His problems and not how to solve them? Hn, pathetic. I left his mind and went into another human's mind.

Again, problems, but this one was thinking about how to solve them. He was also thinking about his family. Two children and his wife. I blinked in slight surprise at how much alike I was and he was in that category. He was heading off to work and was away from them for no more then a half hour and already missed them. Here I stood up on the roof realizing I missed the others back home.

"Hn." I left his mind and my Jagan closed and I tied my bandana around it.

"Remembering how pathetic they are?" someone asked from behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder at Jigoku. "What do you want?" I asked in a cold, emotionless voice.

"Nothing. I just noticed you were using your Jagan eye and became interested." He kept his distance from me and watched me warily.

"'Interested'? Alright, what in Makai do you want to say to me?" I asked, sensing he wanted to say something but was afraid to.

"Nothing," was his quick reply.

_/So he's 'interested' about my Jagan eye. Maybe I'll give him a demonstration then./ _I thought to myself. I pulled my bandana off and my Jagan eye opened, eager to break the barrier around his mind. Demons were slightly harder to break than humans and considering Jigoku used magic my Jagan hoped he had a strong mental barrier that we could break.

I searched around the barrier, prodding with my mind every now and then to test weak spots. Jigoku's eyes widened as he realized what I was doing. "Wait-- Don't you dare--"

My Jagan found the weakest point and attacked the barrier. Jigoku only knew I was trying to break into his mind because he could see my Jagan glowing an eerie blue. Few could sense when the Jagan was trying to break into their mind. I was one of them.

My Jagan broke the barrier and started rushing through his mind, reading thoughts, viewing memories, learning secrets.

Jigoku had insulted my Jagan eye once before and now we were both looking for something to use against him. In a way… my Jagan had a mind of it's own. I found what I was looking for and moved it from the back of his mind to the front. An image of Hina, my mother.

Jigoku glared at me, his dull crimson eyes full of anger. "You bastard…" He climbed back through the window, leaving me alone.

He wanted to ask me about the Ensatsu Ken. The Darkness flame. He had small hopes of learning it and becoming more powerful then me. I was the master of the Ensatsu Ken and no one else. I wouldn't tell anyone how to use it. As I jumped from the roof and landed on the ground Jigoku came from the front door.

I glared at him and he glared back. No words were said but the air around us heated up and people sensed the inevitable fight as they made their way quickly to the next street. Soon the street was empty.

"Hn, Do you plan to fight fire with fire?" I asked.

"Fight fire with fire? You mean like this?" Jigoku shouted as he threw a ball of fire at me.

I pulled my arms up to cover my face as the ball hit but did nothing. I glared. "You're pathetic."

"_I'm _pathetic! _You're _the pathetic one! " Jigoku summoned up another fire sphere.

I summoned up the Darkness sword. "You can't even control your temper."

"Well, I'm sorry if I'm not_ heartless_ like you!"

Sora chose that moment to walk out. "…Hiei…?"

I opened my right hand and the Darkness sword disappeared. "Hn."

Jigoku made the flame sphere disappear. He silently walked off.

"Did… I miss something?" Sora asked.

I shook my head. "No, everything's fine."


	8. Is it just me

Chapter 7: "Is it just me or is the wind out to get me?"

Matt was paranoid around me but not paranoid enough to stay away. She was up and laying around my neck while I walked around town. She didn't say anything.

"Any idea where Dad is?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "He's been gone for a while now…"

"Hmm…" The people around here were completely use to seeing strange things, like a twelve year old shooting at people, or hitting her father with a door. Therefore I could walk around town without hiding my wings…. Well without hiding them too much. After all, they lived in a town where in one house gun shots went off every five minutes and where four people who have been declared the Humanoid Typhoon. I pulled the make-shift cloak up higher on my shoulders, my wings tucked down and against my back so my wings were covered. People glanced at me but thought nothing of it. They were use to strange sites.

We just wandered and Matt kept quiet. "So… when do you think he'll be home?"

"Dunno."

I sighed.

"Um… You're not gonna try to eat me again, are you?"

"No. I don't plan to."

"Okay…" Matt grew quiet again. "Um, can we go get into trouble or something? I'm bored…"

I sighed. "Fine. You think of something."

"But I can't… You think of something!" I growled. "How about we---"

A cat ran across the street, stopping in front of me. It hissed at me and took off running and I crouched and ran after it without realizing what I was doing.

"Hiei! I understand if you want to get the cat, trust me! I'm a dog demon but let me off of your shoulder before you go running after it!" Matt cried.

I snarled and flared my wings, running down an alleyway, almost tripping over a trashcan. I flapped my wings a few times and regained my balance.

"Hiei! Stop, please!"

The cat was only seven feet ahead of me and I leapt at it, claws ready to tear it apart. I heard the click of a gun and the word 'danger' went through my head as I snapped out of it. I slammed my hands against the ground and tucked my feet under me then leapt onto a building as a bullet hit the ground in front of where I was.

"Hiei! No eating Kuroneko-sama!" Sora yelled.

"I wasn't--" Everything came rushing back to me. "….Ah, damn…"

Matt had climbed down the back of my shirt and was shaking.

"Hiei, it's dinner time, come on. I'm starving!"

Matt slowly climbed out of my shirt and back up onto my shoulder. I glanced at her. "You're eyes look kinda creepy."

I rolled my eyes and jumped down from the building then followed Sora home.

Sora opened the door and glanced back at me. "Hey Hiei?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I see your wings?"

I blinked. "Sure." I stretched them so that Sora could see the wing span and the color and built. She walked over and touched them and they twitched. She spent several minutes studying them. I stood still, trying to stay as patient as I could. It's kinda hard when you're not a very patient person.

"Cool!" Sora finally said.

I smirked and went to fold them again but… The wind caught it again and blew me over. Sora started laughing as Matt dug her claws in my shoulder, trying to hang on. I slid on my chest for the first foot or so then the rest of my body followed. I folded my wings quickly and started swearing in kitsune language.

Matt and Sora blinked and stared.

I stared back. "What? …What? You tend to pick a few things up when you live with a fox," I pointed out.

Matt's hackles went up. I scratched behind her ear and she immediately calmed down. I sighed and walked inside, wings folded tightly against my back. "Is it just me or is the wind out to get me?"

Matt snickered as I pulled out tomato sauce to make spaghetti.


	9. So I have to babysit again?

Chapter 8: "So I have to baby-sit… again?"

Matt sighed. "Hiei?"

I rolled over, mumbling. My Jagan opened slightly and I saw the clock. It was four in the morning. I pulled the blanket up over my head.

"Hiei, get up."

Again, I mumbled and crawled under the blanket more and growled. "No."

"You don't even know what I was going to ask!"

"I don't care. No, damn it."

"Hiei, I have to go see someone."

I peeked out from under the blanket and scowled. "Who?"

"My dad."

"Your dad…?" It took a moment for my mind to register what she said.

"Yeah. I can't tell you why. I'll be back in a day or two."

"So I have to baby-sit… again?"

"Mmhm."

"Alright."

"Bye, see you soon. Love yah."

I quickly fell back asleep.

Sora ran into my room and jumped on my bed. "Hiei! Up, up, up!"

She landed on my chest, knocking the air from my lungs. I sat up, coughing and gasping for air.

"Whoops, sorry. I'm hungry Hiei."

I took a few deep breaths and looked up at her. "Let's get some donuts then."

"YAY!"

I smirked. "I have two hundred double dollars that need to be spent. Go pick yours out, I'll meet you in a minute."

I got up as Sora ran outside next door to the donut shop. I grabbed my black shirt off the chair and noticed something was different… My wings were gone.

"What the hell--!" I spun around, attempting to see my shoulders but only succeeded in tripping over my own feet. I got up and ran to the bathroom and turned around, looking at my shoulders with the mirror. Nothing. No marks or anything.

I blinked and looked at my eyes in the mirror. They were still kind of cat-like… My claws were back to normal but my fangs were still longer then they normally are.

"…..huh…" I sighed and pulled on a shirt that didn't have holes in the shoulders and went to meet Sora. "What kind of donuts do you want?" I asked simply. The wings disappearing didn't bother me. My life was just strange like that.

Between me and Sora we spent around 150 double dollars on donuts. I ate one and grabbed as many bags as I could and looked at Sora. "Can you handle the rest?"

"You only left me three… out of eight bags, Hiei."

"So?"

"Yeah, I can carry them." Sora grabbed them and we walked out.

After asking Sora where she wanted to eat we decided on sitting by the fountains. I sat the bags down and sat next to them. Sora did the same and we both started to eat. I glanced at Sora as she shoved a whole donut in her mouth and swallowed it whole.

"Don't choke and kill yourself. Mom will find a way to blame it on me."

She made a face. "I never choke, unlike _someone_ I know!"

I scowled. "Hn."

A shadow fell over me and Sora. "Did you get me any?"

I choked on a donut (It's more predictable than you'd think). Sora patted my back as I gasped for air. When I finally stopped choking and could see past tears I saw Vash staring down at me.

"Don't kill yourself, Hiei."

"Dad!" Sora and me shouted at the same time. Sora jumped on him and hugged him. I just smirked.

"Miss me? Can I have one?" He reached into one of my donut bags and stole one. I ignored it since I do it to him every chance I get.

"Yeah!" Sora said. She sat back down next to me.

"I'm exhausted… Oh. Hiei, when your mother gets home I need to talk to you two."

"Why?" I asked.

"You'll see."

"Alright." I know. I show a lot of emotions around those I trust. You think I seem trusting here you should see me around Naoko.

"I'm gonna take a nap until Matt gets home. Don't be out here too long."

"'Kay Dad," Sora said. Vash walked inside and Sora looked at me. "Isn't that guy, Jigoku, in there?"

"So?"

"Dad doesn't know he's in there."

"Your point?"

"Dad--" A few gun shots sounded and I smirked.

"Let's go see if he got him." I got up and grabbed the bags. Sora grabbed a few and we both went inside.


	10. What the hell's going on

Chapter 9: "What the hell's going on here and why do I feel like a puppet!"

I sighed, letting Sora's secret pet mouse climb over my fingers while I walked into the living room. Vash was asleep on the couch and mom wasn't home yet although she was close. Very close.

I put the mouse back in Sora's desk drawer and walked out as Matt clawed at the door. She was in her sable form again.

"Hiei, will you open the door for her?"

"Why not you?"

"Just do it."

"….Hn." I opened the door and Matt trotted in. Dad hid behind the door and once she was inside he grabbed her by the back of her neck. She yelped and curled up.

"What are you--?" I began but Vash cut me off.

"You follow me."

I hesitated, glancing at the main exit (front door) and the other exits (windows, back door, ect.).

"Now Hiei. It's important."

I sighed and followed as he walked into a room. A black gun hung from his pocket. I knew that gun. "Where did you get Knives's gun?"

He glanced at it and smiled a goofy smile. "I stole it from him."

Something wasn't right. "Really? How?"

"Not important." He threw Matt into a corner of the room and shoved me inside. There was nothing in the room. It was plain and bare.

"What the--?"

Vash grinned. "You're staying in here until your dragon half is under control."

"'Dragon half'? What are you talking about?"

"I'll let you out later."

I guessed it was two hours later… I was bored out of my mind and Matt was acting more like a sable with every passing minute. "What the hell's going on here and why do I feel like a puppet!" I sighed.

"I've had enough of this…" I walked to the door. I grabbed he door handle and it disappeared. The whole door just disappeared. "What the hell!" I looked at the window and it did the same. I started to become slightly claustrophobic. I was use to sleeping outside and being outside. I had problems being in a house for long periods of time. "I want out!" I summoned the Ningenkai flame and used the Fist of the Mortal Flame on the wall. When I finally stopped my knuckles were bloodied. "Damn it… Wait a second…" I drew a dagger Sora gave me for Christmas. The Subtle Knife. It could cut through matter like it was nothing and cut holes into other dimensions. I drew the tip of the dagger through the air, feeling for a snag in the air to open a hole.

"Don't!" Matt said.

I turned to her. "So you finally decided to speak…"

"Don't. It'll break. We can't get out of here."

I hesitated. I didn't want it to break… I really liked it and magical artifacts are… Really, _really_ impossible to repair. After a moment I sheathed it. I sat in a corner.

_/Dad? Come on. Let us out./_ I said telepathically.

_/Hiei, you have to kill Matt. Your dragon half wants to eat her so eat her and our problem's solved./_

My stomach turned. Eat Matt? Sure I could eat cute-looking fluffy small animals but not when it was my adopted mother who was the cute-looking fluffy small animal.

_/No! What the hell's gotten into you? Did you slam your head on something or run into too many objects/_

_/No./_

_/Then what the hell's up/_

He didn't answer.

I sighed physically and mentally. _/At least tell me why you stole Knives's gun./_

_/For revenge./_

_/What/_

_/He can't stop his Angel Arm from going off if he doesn't have his gun. Now, kill Matt and I'll let you out./_

_/You're beginning to sound like Knives…/_ In my mind… I already knew what was going to happen next and I didn't like it.

_/Exactly./_ Was the reply but instead of Vash's voice it was Knives's voice. Why did they have to be twins?

_/Damn you! I knew it…/_

_/You knew but you were just ignoring your instincts and were just too trusting of my brother. You've become soft/_

If there's one thing that ticks me off every time it would be someone telling me I'm _soft_. _/What the hell do you want/_ My mental voice was emotionless and cold.

_/I want you to become a full-blooded dragon and eat Matt./_

_/I can't--/_

_/Oh, your wings will appear any minute now. I put an artifact on you that'll bring out your dragon blood. And you can become a full dragon./_

_/I can? And what if I refuse to/_

_/You better if you wish to see your little sister alive again./_

_/Hiei, help me…/_ It was Sora. One hundred percent Sora. Her mental voice gave off feelings of pain, helplessness and fear.

_/Sora! Are you alright…? Did he hurt you/_

_/H-he shot my arm… Hiei… Please help me…/_

_/I will… I promise./ _I focused on Knives again. _/Let her go and I'll do anything you want./ _While I waited for Knives to reply to that I concentrated on Vash. _/Dad? Where are you/_

_/I'm here./_

_/Knives is here too./_

_/I know. I know about everything./_

_/Can you rescue Sora/_

_/No. I err… got caught./_

I sighed and let him feel my annoyance. _/Greeeeaaat…/_

_/Sorry./_

Knives finally spoke. _/Alright. I'll let her go but you have to become a full dragon first./_

_/Fine./ _I didn't believe I could become a full dragon._ /How/_

_/Just picture the dragon. Leave the rest to me./_

I figured once I became a full dragon-- if I did-- I would let Knives let us out, kill him then find a way to change back. More then likely I would have to remove the artifact he put on me... which... I couldn't find.


	11. Regrets

Chapter 10: "Regrets…"

I growled in pain as my wings began to appear again. The pain was slightly less then last time and to make it even more painless I recreated the pain I felt from getting my Jagan in my mind. I didn't feel it but it was enough to make any pain seem like nothing.

After my wings I felt my claws and fangs get longer. My eyesight became even better and my hearing and sense of smell sharper. Matt yelped and ducked in a hole that appeared in the wall.

I took a shaky breath and waited a moment. _/Nothing else is happening./_

_/Try harder, boy or I'll kill your sister/_

_/Don't you touch her/_

_/Oh, I won't hurt her… too much./_

_/Stop! …I'll try again./_

_/You better or you can say good-bye to your little baby sister./_

I growled, my body heating up from the anger and hate I couldn't quite get under my control and my whole body filled with pain that fell just short of the pain from getting my Jagan. My body stiffened from it and I couldn't even choke back a scream.

Matt ran out of her little hole. "Hiei!"

I felt my body changing but it's really hard to describe and through the pain I really don't remember much. I tried to stop from screaming just because I felt how worried and afraid Matt was. I failed after no more then two seconds and screamed from the pain again but this time I swore it became a roar before I passed out.

When I opened my eyes I had no idea how long I had been out. I blinked a few times, trying to get the room to stop spinning when something dark and fuzzy got right up in my face at the end of a long snout with a small blood red horn sprouting from the end of it..

"Hiei…? Are you awake now?"

_/I think so…/_

"Okay…um, Are you… alright?"

_/I think… What happened…/ _I didn't realized I was speaking telepathically.

She just stared at me for a moment. "Whoa."

_/What/ _I asked.

"I dunno but look at yourself!"

I went to stand up. I looked at my hands… which had become giant, clawed and dragon-like… "What the--?" is what I wanted to say but it came out as a loud roar.

In a small attempt to remain calm and collected I studied them for a moment. Black glossy scales covered them and deep dark blood red claws that were curved and cat-like.

"Whoa Hiei, you're huge!" ….This was coming from a sable that wasn't even two feet long. "You look so awesome!"

I sat back onto my back legs to study my feet. The same thing. I saw something move behind me as I balanced on my back legs. I glanced back to see a tail swish behind me, helping to keep me balanced. I almost passed out again. I looked at my chest and stomach. Deep dark blood red scales covered my chest, stomach and neck. I looked at my back. Black glossy scales like on my hands covered me. My wings were the same except bigger. I finally found courage to study the tail (Yes, the tail is what I was afraid of. Don't ask why.) I looked down my back and followed the tail to the end. It was long and whip like and it moved on it's own for the most part, though I could feel it sliding against the floor.

After a moment I saw down, front legs supporting my front weight while my back legs were tucked neatly underneath me and my wings were folded so I fit in the room.

_/What the hell…? How the hell did I…/_

"Hiei?"

Knives spoke. _/Good job. Now, I'll be in there in a moment after I deal with this little brat./_

_/You promised you wouldn't hurt her/ _I had a feeling Knives never kept to his promises but I was hoping he would listen to an empty threat that I didn't know if I could even try to keep. _/I swear if you hurt her I'll change back. I swear I will./_

Silence. I began to get slightly nervous but kept it inside where no one but me knew about it. _/Alright./_ I let out a breath that I didn't know I had been holding. _/But you haven't kept to your promise. Eat Matt./_

I felt sick. _/…I- I can't…/_

_/Eat her or no little sister/_

I thought of something. _/Wait! Fine, I'll eat her…./_ I looked at Matt. _/Mom, I'm going to keep you in my mouth so don't move./_

"What? Why?" I picked her up and tossed my head and caught Matt in my mouth. "Ahh-!"

_/Don't move/ _I focused on Knives. /Okay… Now let Sora go./

_/Swallow boy! How stupid do you think I am/_

I shielded my thoughts. _/You'd be surprised… You're lower than Kuwabara on my list./_ I sighed and spoke with Knives again. _/I did--/_

_/Swallow/_

Sora spoke. _/Hiei! Help/_

_/Alright/_ I wasn't in control… I hated it too. I could only do one thing to help Sora… and if I did help then Matt would be in trouble… I didn't know what to do and again I began to think how easy it would have been to be without feelings. I could walk away and I realized even if I could do that I didn't want it. I was only happy back then when I fought. Now I was happy even when I wasn't and I wouldn't want to live without Matt, Sora and if I had the chance to go back to not caring I would lose Naoko too and I didn't want that. At that moment I made a hard decision… One that would later come with regrets…

"Hiei, What's going--" Matt began.

Then I swallowed.


	12. Zollen

Chapter 11: "Zollen!"

I tried several times not to get sick and finally managed to calm down. A few seconds later I heard Matt.

"It huge in here! And warm and comfy… I'm going to take a nap…"

I sighed. At least she was fine. I laid down and waited, ignoring the fact the room seemed smaller.

It was about ten minutes later when Knives opened the door (Which just appeared). I growled and it sounded really… evil. I bared the huge fangs that came with being a dragon as well. If I looked like a dragon I was going to look like a scary dragon.

He threw Sora at me and looked at me for a second. "I'll be back for you later." He closed the door and it disappeared. I wasn't worried about Vash. He could take care of himself… or at least that's what I told myself at the moment.

_/Sora? Are you alright/_ I lowered my head to her level and nudged her gently with my snout.

She looked at me "Wow… Hiei… I'm fine." I studied her arm and a hole in her stomach.

_/No you're not. Hold still./_ I didn't know how well I'd be able to use my chakra in this form but I was going to try. I realized that my chakra necklace and tear gem necklace had only an inch of room left on their chains but it fit almost like a collar. At least the chains didn't snap.

I put a claw over Sora's wounds and healed it. It was just like I could before I was a dragon so I was guessing everything was fine. _/There. Better/_

"Yeah. Thanks."

_/It's no problem./_

Sora sat up and looked at me. She laid her hands on my snout and looked at my eyes then touched the blood red scales on my stomach.

After a moment I realized that a purring sound was coming from me. Sora giggled and pet my head. I sighed mentally. I wasn't a _pet_. I'd let her go though… she was still a child after all. "Do all dragons purr?"

_/I don't know./_

It was at least fifteen more minutes before the door appeared. Sora stepped back against my chest and I growled fiercely.

A boy who looked to me about my human age of nineteen walked in. I recognized him as Zollen. "What're ya growling at me for?"

_/Zollen/_ I stopped growling.

"Yah. Heard ya needed help so I came."

_/Thanks. Can you take Sora out of here. I'm going to find dad and help him out./_

"What are ya gonna do about Matt?" Zollen was Matt's past self. He was her from the past but for some reason lived as an alter ego in Matt.

_/Don't worry…. I'm going to be sick in a moment…/_ I said then start gagging and choking. After getting sick and spitting Matt out Zollen started laughing.

"That one way to get her out of your stomach!"

I shook my head. _/I feel like I threw a hairball up…/ _I looked at Matt. _/Wait a second… I did./_

Zollen just laughed harder then became more serious. "Come on." He picked Matt up and him and Sora left with Matt (Who somehow managed to stay asleep).

I somehow managed to fit through the door and followed Knives's scent. I found him and dad fighting outside. Knives near death as dad aimed his gun for the killing blow.

I watched. Something told me not to interfere and to just watch. Dad, after a moment, just walked away. I walked over and looked at Knives. Knives dead? Oh yes, I wanted to kill him. A painful death, even more so but I wasn't going to kill him when he was already half dead. It would have been more of a mercy killing and I didn't like giving my enemies mercy killings.

"Hiei, come on."

I stared at Knives in disgust for a moment then walked off towards Vash. There was a moment of silence between us. _/Why didn't you finish him/_

Vash was quite for a moment. "Okay, let me ask you this: If Sora became evil right now and started trying to kill everyone would you be able to kill her?"

I kept quiet, seriously thinking it over in my head. If it meant to save the other I care for then I might… As soon as I knew I might have I felt… guilty. I wouldn't like killing her but if she didn't care and was trying to kill everyone then… yes, I might actually kill her. _/No…/ _I lied.

"Then you get my point. Knives is my brother. He wasn't always like that, you know. He was once my twin…"

I thought of Yukina and me… I changed the subject. _/I'm hungry./_

Vash smiled. "Go get something to eat. I'll meet you inside in a second."

_/Okay./_ I tried to run on my four new legs. It was hard but I got the hang of it and… was only stopped by the door. I was stuck about halfway through. I growled and tried to back out. No deal. I tried to go forward and managed to break the whole door. _/oops…./_

Vash sighed and did something weird he does (He always does weird stuff) and made the whole house bigger.

I glanced back and made a happy whistling sound then went back to making my way to the fridge. I discovered then that claws slide on wooden floors and ended up running into the fridge.

"Hiei! What are ya doing? It sounds like a war in there!"

_/Sorry. I crashed…/_ I said as instincts too over and I started devouring everything and anything in the fridge and kitchen.

After that I curled up against the knocked over fridge and fell asleep but I was in a light enough sleep to realize Vash walked in and covered me up with a blanket.


	13. We didn't crash?

Chapter 12: "We didn't crash?"

I woke up to see Vash sitting on the floor laying against the wall, asleep. I sighed and stood up, shaking the blanket off of me and I sat next to him. He woke up and looked at me then smiled.

_/Sorry about the kitchen._/ I said realizing what I did.

"Don't worry about it," he replied and stood up. "Let's go find out where Matt is. I'm sure you could sense her."

She was kind of close but I wanted to try something. I grabbed Vash by the back of his cloak.

"What are you--"

I gave a soft, muffled roar and walked outside then tossed Vash on my back. I flared my wings and took a running start.

"What the hell are you doing!" Vash cried.

_/Taking you flying/_

He hesitated then wrapped his arms around my throat as we took to the air. "Just don't pull and aerial stunts or crap like that!"

_/Okay. I'm sure we would crash anyways./_

"I'm flying with a demon… who just became a dragon… and doesn't even know how to fly… Greeeeeaaat…"

_/I know how to fly. It's landing that I can't do/ _

"You can't land? You do realize we're probably are going to die, right!"

_/Hell yeah/_ I smirked mentally.

"Just try not to crash!"

The flight itself was fun but I was sure after Vash calmed down he enjoyed it more.

Now came the hard part. Landing. I tried running to slow myself but almost tripped over my front legs and ending up in a break-neck roll. I took back up to the air.

"Try flapping your wings and pushing the wind forward to slowly lower yourself to the ground." I flew lower, threw my back legs out and tilted my wings forward slightly so it would push the wind forward. I closed my eyes and hoped it would work then felt my back legs touch the ground.

I folded my wings, my back legs supporting all my weight for a second while I lowered my front legs to the ground.

"We didn't crash?" Vash asked.

I grinned. _/Nope. We landed and we're alive… unless we think we're alive and we're actually ghost or the living dead./_

"_Funny_." Vash got off, testing his legs for a second. "Nope, my legs hurt too much for us to be dead."

I sniffed the air, ignoring the people staring. _/She's in there./_

"Okay." Vash saw Zollen and Zollen let him in but I was stuck… outside… because I couldn't fit through the damned door.


	14. Mik

Chapter 13: "Mik"

I moment later a strange woman came out accompanied by Zollen and Vash, who was carrying a sleeping Sora and Matt scrambled out and onto my head.

"Well, that's a MeAni Winger alright! He's a beauty too!" She winked at me and I took a few steps back away from her.

Zollen looked at the woman. "Okay Mik. That's Hiei."

I used my wing as an extra limb to keep me balanced while my back right foot scratched at an itchy spot on the side of my neck, trying to ignore everyone.

"Ain't to bright is he?" I growled and bared my fangs. My growl became a hiss. "Don't you growl at me you blarner."

I continued to growl softly. She glared at me.

_/Hn./_

"A MeAni's rare…" she mumbled as she studied me. I sat on my back legs, watching her closely.

"Mik's a dragon expert. She's a friend of Zollen's," Matt told me.

_/Really? I kind of guessed that much./_

"Er… Yeah whatever."

I sighed and watched Mik walk away. Everyone was talking and I was getting bored.

About ten minutes later dad walked over. "Okay. Ready?"

_/Yeah./_ I said. _/But I don't think I can carry all of you./_

"I can walk home. You take them home." I nodded as he put Sora on my back. "Try not to let her fall off."

I gave him the best look I could manage as dragon. _/I won't drop her./ _I took to the air as Sora woke up and hugged my neck tightly out of fear of falling. _/Relax./_

"Hiei? You're okay!" She relaxed. I landed exactly like I had last time and Sora and Matt got off. "Mom, I'm hungry."

"Let's go see what there is to eat." I felt panic rise. I ate everything the other night and wrecked the kitchen. I was so dead.

_/Oh damn…/_

_/Calm down./_ Vash said. _/I fixed everything and bought food last night./_

I sighed, relived. _/Thanks./_ I decided to go hunting later. I followed them inside.


	15. If my Jagan's gone then

Chapter 14: "If my Jagan's gone then…"

I was sitting outside wonder how to change back two days after I first became a dragon. I slept the whole day after flying every where, trying to catch food. (Trying is the keyword…) My shoulders were sore and my wings tired. My tail curled itself around me, tired as well. I glanced at it.

_/It's strange… You have a mind of your own don't you/_A small part of me began to think I was going insane. I mean… I was talking to my tail! _/Wait--! If my Jagan's gone then…/_ My tail flicked and I stared at it.

It curled around my front legs and held still. I gave up, deciding my life was just too weird here to even think about the fact that my Jagan might have become my tail. I went back to staring at the moon. _/Jeez… I guess I can't read minds anymore…or control weak-minded idiots… or force people to do what I want… or make Kuwabara slap himself…/ _I sighed. Maybe things weren't as good as I would hope for. I went back to watched the stars and moon all night that night.


	16. Another Dragon?

Chapter 15: "Another Dragon?"

I was sitting outside watching as Vash walked up the street towards the house with groceries. Dragon instincts started fighting with everything and tried to take control. I fought but failed and ran at Vash.

Sliding across the dirt I stopped right I front of Vash and shoved my head in a bag, grabbing a hold of something in it with fangs that easily tore it apart. Vash shoved at my head. "No! That's dinner."

Matt grabbed a bag that I knocked out of Vash's hands and dragged it off a few feet then started eating everything out of it.

Vash sighed. "Well… it was dinner."

After I got a hold of something I regained control. _/Sorry…/_

"Forget it just get your mother."

I walked over and my tail wrapped itself around Matt, lifting her off the ground. She had at least two pounds of extra weight. _/Jeez…/_ I walked over to Vash. _/Okay./_

He picked up the remaining groceries and looked at me. "Oh. And you mother needs to get a bath. Drop her in a lake or whatever you have to do just get her wet and cleaned."

I nodded. Matt hated bathes as a sable. It drove everyone crazy. My tail lowered Matt to me and loosened it's grip. I grabbed Matt in my front claw and took off flying. I flew to a lake I knew about and flew lower so I saw my reflection on the surface. I was about twelve feet long counting my tail and my wing span I guessed was over twenty feet in size. I flew up higher.

"Hiei! What're you doing?"

_/Giving you a bath./_

"You're gonna drop me!" And that's exactly what I did.

Matt hit the water with a small splash and I didn't even think about it. I _let_ instinct take over as I folded my wings to my sides and twisted my body so I was diving towards the water head first. But before I hit the water I threw my back talons forward and flared my wings. I grabbed Matt from the water and pulled up before I fell into the lake completely. Matt was clinging to my back leg and shaking as I started laughing. It came out an amused purring sound.

_/That was cool! Can I try that again/_

"NO!" Matt dug claws into my leg but it really didn't bother me.

_/I was just kidding./_ I flew down low to the surface again and saw something move under us. I pulled up quickly and studied the lake for a moment.

Nothing.

I turned back around ready to fly home when the sound of something breaking the surface of the lake made me look.

An ocean blue colored dragon flew up from the surface of the lake and landed on the beach.

_/Another dragon/_ At first I was in control, ready to just go home but then curiosity and my new dragon instincts over powered me. I suddenly felt… lost… Like I didn't know who I actually was anymore as I sat in indecisiveness. Do I leave her territory or stay? Would she try to attack or did she want me to stay?

My demon self was lost inside of all these new instincts. It was all dragon now and I couldn't find myself. _I_ was lost. One of the only things I was always sure of… myself… was gone.

The dragon made a musical call that my dragon half recognized as an invitation and instead of leaving I suddenly realized I was flying to the beach to meet the new dragon.

Matt was shaking really badly now. The dragon half didn't care but my demon self fought. I felt to small compared to the power just these instincts had over me and my demon self wouldn't be able to regain control… eventually it stopped fighting and waited.

_/Why did you drop the fluffy one in my lake/_ the dragon asked.

_/My father told me to give her a bath./_ I replied.

_/I see. You are a MeAni, am I correct little one/_

_/Yes Elder, I believe I am./_ Why in Makai was I being so respectful? My demon self fought against the dragon half again but it wouldn't make a difference.

_/You 'believe' you are? Do you not know about your bloodlines/_

_/No, I don't…/_

_/I see./_

Matt hid under me and the part of me that didn't relay on anything but me told her silently to stay there. I didn't know what was going to happen. I wasn't in control of myself anymore. At least… the me that I knew wasn't.

_/Why do you carry the fluffy one around/_

_/She's my mother./_

_/I see. Allow me to take us to a place where we may talk in peace. Let me see your mother./_

I fought. If my dragon self wanted to eat Matt then other dragons would too. I wouldn't hand her over. I felt relive when my body hesitated. I _was_ still in control. _/You're not going to eat her, are you/_ I asked, realizing that younger dragons had to be respectful to older dragons. It was instincts and I often trusted mine but these were new. I found I trusted this dragon for no real reason except for the fact that dragons kept their words and I didn't know how I knew that.

_/I would never. Now come young one./_

_/Alright./ _I used my claw to move Matt towards the dragon. Matt looked at me, her crimson eyes that were _just_ like mine were wide with fear. _/It's alright./_ I assured her.

The dragon picked Matt up by the scruff then tossed he head back and swallowed her.

I flared my wings out so they were out at my sides and tilted towards the ground making me look bigger, while I growled softly. I was back in control.

_/Peace young one. You do not understand things a dragon must know. You may look fledged but you know nothing more then a newly hatched kit, do you? Peace./_

I calmed down a little. _/You didn't eat her did you/_

_/I will explain as soon as we reach my cave. Can you hold your breath long/_

_/Yeah, I can Elder./_ I trusted how long I could. It was something else I worked on in Makai after a demon tried to drown me in a river. I could hold it long over a minute. I guessed I could hold it for maybe… four minutes if I didn't move but if I was struggling it would be anywhere between a minute and a half to two and a half minutes.

_/Can you swim/_ I nodded. I could do that too. I learned to swim when I was six and I was thrown into a lake. It was either swim or drown so I learned to swim then. _/Then come along./_

I folded my wings tightly against me and followed the dragon into the water. She swam better then anything I had ever seen and I struggled to keep up. She swam under a rock that appeared to be sticking out from a cliff and I followed. She swam straight up and we came to an under water cave. I took a big breath of air and swam to a small rock. I scrambled up on the rock, claws giving me a good grip. Once I was up on the rock did the dragon climb out after me.

She opened her mouth and lowered her head so it was level with the ground and Matt climbed out, shaking.

_/You said you had to give the Fluffy One a bath, correct/_

_/Yes, Elder./_

_/This may help./_ She picked Matt up and dropped her in a shallow pool. She made a small whirlpool with a fin on her tail and I saw what honestly looked like mermaids come up and start playing with Matt.

I looked at the dragon. _/I'm Hiei./_

_/My name's Dlexus, one of the Rue. You may know the Rue best as the Loch./ _She looked at Matt and then back at me. _/Now, is there things you wish to know, Young One/_

_/Yeah. Can you tell me about the MeAni/_

_/Now much is known about them… But I can try./ _She kept quiet for a moment. I studied Dlexus for a moment and realized she was maybe three to four times bigger then me. _/The MeAni, long ago, were the highest class of dragon. Despite the name Darkness, they were not evil. Until something happened./_ I remained silent, listening carefully. _/When the time of dragon slaying came, the MeAni were the only ones to fight back. The other dragons were kept at peace. The MeAni who foresaw the war backed out. The others… were all slain. To this day, only six MeAni exist./_

I kept quite for a moment. _/Wow… So, the MeAni are rare/_

_/Yes, some of the rarest. To survive they live in the North./_

_/The North/_

_/The North is where a lot of dragons live. But those dragon tend to be… darker than we are. A kit like you would not last very long there./_

_/Can you teach me how to fight as a dragon/_ I asked.

She looked at one of the mermaids and made a growl-purring sound and the mermaids started washing Matt. _/I'm afraid I cannot. Only the MeAni know their abilities. Might I ask why you know so little/_

My dragon half became slightly stronger the longer we were here but I still could control it. It was as if my demon self and dragon half found some sort of truce for the moment. _/I became a dragon only a few days ago./_

_/You were not that of a dragon before/_

_/No. I was… am a fire demon. I became a dragon a few days ago to save my sister./_

_/I see. It is strange but you are a dragon and that is for sure./_

I kept quite.

_/I will teach you what I can, Young One. But for fighting you must learn from the MeAni. Now ask questions Young One./_

_/Why can my mother, Matt, survive in our stomachs and why do I eat so much/_

_/A dragon's stomach is made differently then most creatures. The Rue have two. One is called a chamber, and that is used for holding things. The other is for food. Meanwhile, MeAni like yourself have one chamber that is used for both. If something is in your chamber you will not be hungry for a while. It was originally a method to raise young. And about you eating a lot, most young do while they are growing. It's only natural./_

_/How come I get sick when Matt's in there./ _I asked, still not broken from using Matt's first name.

_/It is not uncommon for young to have sensitive chambers. I can help you with this. Go to the bottom of my lake and eat some of the sea grass down there. You will be fine after that./_

_/Okay./ _I flared my wings and flew up a few feet above the surface then folded them tightly, diving into the water. I swam down to the bottom, finding the sea grass and I quickly grabbed a mouthful and ate it. I grabbed a second one just for safe measures and swam back to the cave.

I took a breath of air and climbed back to the rock I was on.

_/Better/_

_/I'm not sure./_

_/Then let's try it./ _She picked Matt up and tossed her to me. I caught her gently in my mouth and swallowed.

"Hiei!"

_/It's alright./_

"….It really is comfy in here."

_/Thank you, Elder. I should go home now./ _I paused. _/May I come back/_

_/Come back anytime. You're welcome here. And one more thing. Keep your mother hidden if you take her flying. Dragons may try to… take her from you./_

_/I understand. Bye./_ I jumped back into the water and swam to the beach. I shook the water off and flared my wings, shaking them of too. I took to the air and started home.

"So what did she say?" Matt asked me.

_/Nothing much. I'll tell you later./_

It didn't take long for us to fly home.


	17. What are we waitin for

Chapter 16: "What're we waitin' for?"

When we got home I walked inside and into my room. I curled up in a corner by the window and fell asleep.

Sora woke me up the next day. "Hiei. Hiei, wake up." I growled softly. "Hiei! GET! UP!"

I raised my head and blinked. _/…huh…/_

"Breakfast is down stairs. Dad made a whole turkey for you last night but you didn't eat it so he put it up for you."

_/Okay thanks./_ I said while stretching like a cat and yawning. Sora walked out and I stood up. And walked down stairs.

Vash looked at me. "Where's your mother?"

_/Oh, yeah./_ I did exactly as Dlexus did the other night but Matt refused to climb out. After getting annoyed I spit her out.

"Ouch! Hey…!"

Vash stared, remaining silent for a moment. "You know what? I don't wanna know." Vash walked out.

I pushed myself up onto my back legs and peered over the top of the fridge. My stomach growled.

_/Don't worry, Hiei. I'll distract mom so you can make a mess./_ Sora said telepathically.

_/Thanks Sora./_

"Mom! Can we go play outside? Please?"

"But I don't--"

"Come on!" Sora picked Matt up and dragged her off. I sat back up onto my back legs, placing my front claws on the fridge. I grabbed the edge of the plate with my fangs and pulled it towards the edge of the fridge. I felt the plate start cracking in between my fangs. I went to quickly lower it to the floor but it broke and shattered when it hit the floor. _/Damn…/_ I quickly ate the turkey then looked at my tail. _/Time for you to be useful. Help me out by helping me clean./_ It swished like an annoyed cats tail. _/Oh come on! Please? Really, please? Help/_ It wrapped itself around a dustpan and I used my right paw to use the broom. Once we were finished it dumped the broken shards in the trash can and we met everyone outside. _/Sora? We met another dragon last night. Want to meet her/_

"Really?"

_/Yeah./_

"Cool! What're we waitin' for?"

I grabbed Matt and swallowed her then I looked at Sora. _/We're waiting for you to hop on./_

Sora climbed onto my back and I flew us to Dlexus's lake where she was already waiting.

_/Is this the sister that you saved/_

_/Yeah. This is Sora./_

Sora stared at Dlexus. "Whoa…"

Dlexus looked at me. _/Well, shall we/_

_/I can't take Sora but I can take mom./_

_/Leave your sister to me. I can carry her./ _Dlexus grabbed Sora by her shirt and tossed her head back, swallowing her.

I dived into the lake and looked as Dlexus dived in after me. She passed me up easily and swam to the cave. I swam up and climbed to the rock I was sitting on last night. I spit Matt out and took a drink of water. Dlexus let Sora climb out and she ran over, shaking, and wrapped her arms around my neck.

_/Are you alright/_

_/Maybe that was too much for her…/ _Dlexus said in the dragon language we had been talking in.

_/Maybe…/_

"I'm fine Hiei." She stayed close to me and stayed under my left wing.

_/She's alright. It probably just scared her./ _I looked at Sora. _/Didn't you want to know if all dragons purr/_

"Um, Yeah."

_/Elder, Sora wants to know if all dragons purr./_

_/Most do when young. Most grow out of it as well but there are some who do not./_

I looked at Sora. _/She said--/_

"I know. I heard her."

_/You did/_ I asked.

"Yeah."

_/How? Mom? Can you understand me/_I asked in dragon. It came out as a series of clicks, whistles and purrs. She stared at me blankly.

Sora blinked. "You mean I'm not suppose to understand you?"

I looked at Dlexus. _/It is possible. You said she is your sister, did you not/_

_/Yes, I did./_

_/Then maybe the dragon blood you have in you runs through her./_

_/But…. Wait. I don't get it./_

_/Calm down, kit. You will understand soon./_

I growled softly. _/If you know something, tell me./_

"Hiei," Sora said. "Calm down."

I looked at Sora and became quiet. My wings unfolded and then flapped a few times then folded tightly against my body. _/Sorry…/ _I mumbled.

Sora looked at Dlexus and smiled. "Can we stay here for tonight, please?"

_/Of course you can, Young One./_

"Cool!" Sora looked at me. "You don't mind, do you?"

I shook my head. _/No, we can stay for tonight. I'll ask mom./_

"Okay Hiei."

I walked over to Matt. She looked like she was left out. I purred and nudged her gently with my head. She purred back and climbed onto my head. _/Sora wanted to stay here for the night so I said I didn't mind, do you/_

"No, we can stay."

_/Alright. Sora, mom said we could stay./_

"Alright!" she shouted happily then sat by Dlexus and started talking happily.


	18. You what?

Chapter 17: "You… what…?"

I fell asleep as Matt laid curled up by my neck. My eyes fluttered open and I stood up, shaking off. I didn't know why I excepted all these changes so fast but I did. I walked over to a small pool of fresh water and thought about home.

What would happen if I could change back but my eyes remained cat-like? Would it scare Naoko? Would I even be able to change back? I sighed… well if I was in my human looking form it would have been a sigh but it came out as a hiss-whine.

Matt started whimpering in her sleep. I walked over and curled up around her, laying one of my wings over her so it was like a tent.

I fell asleep pretty quickly.

When I woke up Sora was talking with Dlexus again. I stood up and stretched, again reminding myself of a cat. My wings flared as I dug strong claws into the rock beneath me. Matt opened her eyes and yawned.

_/'Morning…/ _I mumbled.

"Good morning, Hiei!" Sora said.

"Morning…" Matt said sleepily.

_/Good morning, Young One./_ Dlexus said.

_/Anyone know what time it could be/_ I asked.

"Um," Sora looked at her watch. "It's… a little past noon."

_/What? Why the hell did I sleep in so late/_

_/Well, Young One, you did stay up for a little while last night, thinking. And you whimpered and twitched in your sleep./_

I tried to recall my dreams but failed. _/…must have had a nightmare…/_ I said to no one in particular.

"Hiei," Matt started. "Vash will be worried if we're not home soon."

_/You're right. Sora, we have to head home./_

Sora suddenly got really quiet and stared at the ground. I had a sudden sinking feeling in my stomach. "Hiei…?" I remained silent, not moving for some foolish fear that I didn't even know or understand. "I want to stay here."

Suddenly I felt slightly empty. _/…You…what…/_ Even my mental voice was full of shock and… quiet.

"I'm staying. Please, Hiei, you have to let me stay."

I remained silent for a moment. I looked at Matt and she looked as shocked as I felt. I realized that Sora needed this for some reason or another that I wasn't aware of and nodded, drowning all my emotions in a cold empty part of me. I used a fake voice that sounded like everything was normal. _/Okay. You can stay. I'll convince Mom./_

"Thanks Hiei!" She threw her arms around my neck and hugged me. A quiet purring noise vibrated in my chest, which felt empty. My sister was staying behind…

_/No problem./_ I picked Matt up by the scruff and then swallowed her. I wanted to look back… my heart wanted me to but… I didn't. I for some reason couldn't. I felt like if I looked back it would be like she would be staying. She only wanted to stay for a while… right?

I folded my wings and dived into the water. I swam to the shore and shook off then took flight. _/I'm gonna take the long way home, okay/_

"Okay… Hiei? Are you okay?" she asked.

I started to answer then… heard a roar off in the distance.


	19. It hurts like hell

Chapter 18: "It hurts like hell, that's how!"

I tilted my wings and hovered in the same spot for a moment. I felt dragon instincts rise while I sat in indecision. I picked the choice to keep moving just to keep my dragon half calm.

It started trying to control me. I struggled to keep control and suddenly it was just like my demon side and new dragon instincts found a truce.

……Then I noticed the shadow that covered me.

I looked above me and saw a dragon that was two times bigger then me. Normally size is nothing but I learned it matters when you're a dragon after what happened next.

I tried not to look threatening but just as I started to tell the dragon I was only passing through it swooped down so it was only two feet above me. I went to move down to get more room in between us but as I did the other dragon extended it's back legs and dug claws into the softer spot where the wings met the body.

I roared in pain and struggled. The other dragon threw all his weight down and slammed me into the ground. He flew up as I went into a break-neck roll. I started to get up, dazed.

"Hiei! What's happening!" Matt cried.

_/…dragon…/_ Was the only coherent thing I could manage before the dragon's attack resumed.

He used a back claw to hold my left wing down and his front claws to slam my head into the ground and hold it there. Then I felt long, needle sharp fangs bite into my neck.

I snarled in pain and rage then my tail whipped around, catching the dragon around the neck and it pulled.

As the dragon struggled with my tail I spun around and bit down on his front leg. He roared and I went to bite his neck but another dragon swooped in and used her back legs to catch my left wing and drag me by it.

I flapped my wings to get free but suddenly felt a burning pain in my left wing. The first dragon flapped his wings once and flew at me. He tackled me and the second dragon waited for her moment to attack.

I managed to get away from the first dragon only to encounter the second. Finally, I flew away from the second one to run into the first. I folded my wings and dived under him then flew as fast as I could, ignoring the pain in my wing.

"Hiei!"

_/Shut up/ _I half screamed at her. Talking would distract me and I didn't need to be distracted right now.

My older self scolded me in disgust.

_You're running! You damn coward! Since when do you run? You stay and fight even if it mean you'll die for it! Turn around and fight them! They're chasing you so if you turn around really fast you can take them by surprise and kill one of them quickly. Then it'll be one on one. Ignore the pain from your wing and attack them._

I continued to try and escape and soon noticed they stopped following. My vision blurred and I suddenly thought the ground sounded real nice right now…

I tried to remain conscience but couldn't. Soon my wings stopped working and the last thing I remember if falling and darkness.

I woke up and didn't want to move.

"Hiei? Oh my God! You're alive! I thought I was going to die in here. Let me out!" I opened my mouth and let her climb out. "Holy crap! Hiei, look at yourself!"

_/I think my wing's broken…/_ I said, my voice sounding flat and tired.

"Are you sure? How do you know?" Matt asked.

_/Because it hurts like hell, that's how I know/ _I snapped.

"Okay, okay. I'll be back."

_/…okay…/_ I said, already falling into a light sleep.

Later on I figured out that Matt had gone back to the dragons' territory and was almost eaten except the dragons had kits and the dragon mother somehow recognized Matt as a mother and let her go.


	20. And I'm damn proud of it

Chapter 19: "And I'm damn proud of it!"

I opened my eyes and saw Matt sitting worriedly in front of me. I lifted my head and looked at my wing. It hung at a strange, painful looking angle and I wasn't about to try and move it.

"Hiei!" Matt got up and whined.

_/Yeah, yeah, I get it. You were worried./_ I couldn't help but have a cold-edge to my voice. I was mad about the other dragons. I stood up and looked around.

Suddenly, the desert reminded me way too much of Makai and I felt homesickness sweep over me. In a strange way I called Makai my home… but it wasn't the Makai I wanted right now. I felt sick at staring at sand and emptiness. I wanted to go to the Ningenkai.

Matt didn't jump onto me but ran in a circle around me, studying where the worse wounds were.

I started walking and she realized I was about to leave her behind. "Hey! Hiei--!"

_/Come on./ _I said impatiently. _/If we're caught out in the open like that again I'm not going to be able to save us again./_ Matt stared at me for a second then followed.

She walked next to me the whole time we went to find a town.

"Hiei, if we go to Mik's, she could help your wing." I looked at her then at the town we were by. Suddenly I realized why she mentioned Mik. This was the town she lived in.

_/She can help/_

"Yeah. She can fix your wing. Hiei, you're a dragon right now. If you can't fly to fight or escape you'll probably get yourself killed."

_/Hn./_ My sight was blurring again. My wing hung limply from my side and every rock and stone that bumped it sent a new wave of nauseating pain up the new limb and all the way up my neck and down my back. I felt physically sick now.

We made it to Mik's and Matt told me we had to go around back. I walked to the back and looked around. It reminded me slightly of the ningen farms except for one _huge_ difference…

There were dragons everywhere.

"Mik raises orphaned dragons and eggs and she heals injured dragons."

_/Oh…/_ I said, not really paying attention. For some reason I was scanning the place for dragons that looked like me. I gave up as Mik approached.

"What happened to you, blarner?" she asked.

_/Why the hell does she call me that/_ I asked.

"Um… Well, it means bastard."

I glared at Mik but she didn't seem to care. "So you broke your wing? Hm, it's fixable." She walked around, studying the rest of my wounds. "Well, you got lucky. Although, it would have been easier if you hadn't gotten yourself into a fight in the first place."

_/Like I meant to./_ I growled at her.

"Don't you growl at me."

I suddenly felt immature and snapped at her.

She easily avoided that. "Blarner!"

_/And I'm damn proud of it/_ I blinked. What the hell? My emotions were getting the better of me. My emotions _never_ got the better of me. _/Just fix my wing up and I'll be out of here./_

"Hn. Fine." She walked into her house and came out with a bag. I had laid down and she carefully extended my wing. She walked over to study the wound on my neck. "Dragon's heal up pretty fast… I think I'll just wrap these up and let 'em heal on their own-- Matt! Quit teasin' the dragons!" Matt lowered her head sheepishly and walked over to watch.

Mik grabbed something but I wasn't paying attention. I was watching all the other dragons around me. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my side. I growled and got up quickly, turning to face Mik.

She held an empty needle and smiled in an annoyingly innocent way. "Had to drug ya."

After a moment I got really sleepy and everything went black.


	21. To the North

Chapter 20: "To the North"

When I started to wake up everything was fuzzy. My head felt clogged and I couldn't think one damn coherent thing. According to Matt every time Mik came near me I tried to bite her but I couldn't even stand straight for a moment.

I felt slightly bad. I was in Mik's debt since she fixed my wing. My head felt a lot clearer now. _/Mik/_ I walked over and sat in front of a tree and looked up. She sat on a branch.

"What do ya want?"

_/Sorry./_ I said simply. _/If you ever need anything you can ask me./_ I got up and started to walk off.

"Will do." she replied then nothing else was said.

"Y'know… Hiei, Mik's your cousin."

_/I have a cousin/_ I asked.

"Yeah. You have a _lot_ of cousins. Mik's part dragon."

_/And what about you/_

"Er… Hiei, you need to learn how to fight."

_/But I already do know how to fight and you're avoiding the--/_

Matt interrupted. "You don't know how to fight as a dragon so we have to find the MeAni! To the North!" I sighed. There would be no way to get her to answer. She was stubborn.

_/Okay, to the North./ _Matt seemed really happy. _/As soon as my wounds heal./_

"What? Oh, fine." she curled up on my back and I laid down to rest for a while.

A few days later and my wing was fully healed. Matt ran over happily as I landed from testing it out.

"Well? Can we go now? Canwecanwecanwe?"

_/Yeah. It's fine now./_

"Then let's go! Nownownownownow!" Matt scrambled up onto my back.

I looked at her. _/You really want to go, don't you/_

"Uh huh! NOW!"

I flared my wings and crouched down. _/Alright, alright. Sheesh…/ _I leapt into the air and flapped my wings, gaining height quickly then followed Matt's directions to the North.


	22. What just happened

Chapter 21: "Er… What just happened?"

We arrived in the North in less then an hour. I looked around and saw a wasteland, or that's what I saw at first. When I looked closer I saw that there were different parts of it. A forested part off in the distance is what caught my attention. I saw it and thought of the forest that I lived in for the first year I lived in the Ningenkai.

I tried to see it all but I couldn't. If I had my Jagan eye…. I sighed and continued flying. I flew over a volcano, it's warmth welcoming. I closed my eyes only for a moment before I heard a roar.

Instincts took control and I flew lower to the ground, trying to blend in with the dark landscape. It might have worked if it wasn't for all the crimson red that colored me as well as the black.

_/Hey! Fresh meat/_ The new dragon didn't seem too welcoming.I looked down and realized that the ground was covered in dragons.

_/Damn it! This is your fault/_ I scolded Matt. _/We're going to die and it's your fault/_ I started looking quickly for escapes.

"Oh, sure! Blame it on me. You were the one who wanted to learn how to fight!"

_/I do! But you're the one who said to go to the North/_ I sighed. I wasn't afraid to die or anything but I really, _really, REALLY_ didn't want to die. _/Do I have to learn everything like I did back in Makai? Is that just how I learn or is that how everything's taught/_ I thought to myself.

Matt heard the dragon roar again. "I'm gonna keep quiet now."

_/If we get out of this alive, I'm never, EVER listening to you again/ _I got quiet for a moment. I wasn't going to die. Not today and not for a few hundred thousand million millenniums.

….. But I couldn't escape either.

The dragon flew above me and forced me to the ground. I landed in the middle of what I first counted out to be around fifteen dragons. A dragon that was bigger then me… actually he was bigger then Dlexus now that I think of it… flew down and landed in front of me.

_/Hey, kid./_ I twitched and flared my wings out a little, letting them know I wasn't going to be pushed around. I only let one person call me 'kid' and this idiot wasn't him. _/Where ya headed? Hang around with us for a while./_

_/No thanks./ _I sat straight. _/I'm in a hurry./_

_/Why? Just relax and hang around with us for a few./_

I felt annoyed now. _/I said no./_

The maroon colored dragon bared it's fangs in a grin. _/Oh, come on. At least let us see what's in your chamber./_ Dlexus's words quickly came back to me.

_/No./_

_/We can do this the hard way or the easy way, kid. You can pick. Just let us see and we'll let you go./_

I growled softly. _/One) don't call me 'kid'. Two) I. Said. No./_ I flared my wings to take flight but he stepped on one. I growled.

_/Come on. Just show us./_

"Hiei, what's going on?"

_/Quiet! … they want me to show you to them…/_

"I wanna see. Let me out."

I hesitated then opened my mouth and let Matt come out. To this day I wonder why in Makai's name I listened to her after I said I wouldn't.

The dragon picked Matt up with his tail and studied her for a moment and I caught scent of a strangely familiar smell.

I knew it so why couldn't I name it…? I saw Matt shaking and remembered the familiar scent of fear!

I crouched, intending to grab Matt but two other dragons pounced on me. I struggled and then helplessly watched as the maroon dragon tossed Matt into his mouth and swallowed her.

_/DAMN YOU/_ I roared. _/I'm going to make sure you die for that! I'll kill you and rip her from your stomach, I swear I will/_ I struggled to get away but the other dragons held on. My tail whipped around and pulled both dragons from me. I threw myself at the other dragon.

We both went rolling. I held on, digging fangs into his shoulder and holding on by digging claws in his wing and neck.

He snarled in pain and rage. I saw his tail come at me and readied to move at the last second. I went to move then realized I wasn't as fast as I would normally be. I saw a flash of white as his tail slammed against the side of my head.

I flew a few feet and landed hard on my side. I started to get up but four other dragons held me down.

_/You bastard! Just because of that I'll make sure that your little fuzzy friend dies/_

_/N-no…/ _I tried to say but my mind still didn't want to work from the blow. I watched as the dragon walked over to some water and drank a big mouthful. I struggled again, trying to whip my tail around again but they held that too.

_/Throw him in the cage and we'll take care of him later. I'm taking a nap. Food makes me sleepy./_

The maroon dragon flew away and I started struggling violently. I tried to summon the Makai flame, the Ningenkai flame, anything! I couldn't summon fire.

_/Where the hell are my powers when needed/_ I wasn't a fire demon… I was a Dragon of Darkness and I couldn't summon the damn Darkness Flame. _/Get. Off. Of. ME/_I glanced back as the dragons snarled and their weight lifted. Dark shadowy stuff was pulling the dragons off and making them disappear. I stared for a moment then quickly took flight.

I had a promise to keep.

I spotted the maroon dragon laying on a cliff on a volcano. I had one chance at this… otherwise it would be a hell of a lot harder to beat him.

I flared my wings so I hovered a few hundred feet above him…. Then I folded my wings and started falling. I waited until the last second, watching as the maroon dragon turned to look at me. It was too late before he reacted. I felt my right hand touch the top of his head and I held on as I threw all my weight on top of landing on his head. I threw my left hand on the ground then spun so my right hand wouldn't be on his head. My feet touched the ground last. I crouched, wings flared slightly out to my sides as I readied for a fight. The dragon lifted his head and shook off. I was slightly surprised that he survived that but was also expecting it.

Before he had time to react I jumped on him and bit down on his neck then slammed his head again. _/Spit her out/_

_/W-why don't you make me…/_

_/I can keep that promise I made to you. You know… the one about killing you--/_

_/Fine! I'll spit her out/_ He spit Matt out and she coughed and gasped for air.

I sighed. _/Matt/ _I said, using her name for the first time in a while.

"Hiei?" she coughed again. "Er… what just happened?"

_/I saved you./_

"If you could of given me a minute more I could of taken care of it."

_/Tch. Fine, you're welcome./_ I started walking. I glanced back in time to see my tail slam down on the maroon dragon's head, knocking him out. _/Hn./_

I grabbed Matt by her scruff, tossed my head back and swallowed her. _/You're not coming out again until we're out of here. You understand/_

"Alright," Matt said then fell asleep.


	23. Kippichin

Chapter 22: "Kippichin"

It was about three hours later and I was still flying. I was getting tired now.

"Hiei?"

_/What/_

"You're probably not hungry since I'm in here but I'm starving."

_/……I guess I have to start looking for food now……/_ The truth was I was thinking about the Ningenkai again.

"Hurry… I'm hungry."

_/Yeah, yeah…/_ I flew lower to the ground. During the three hours of flying through territory after territory of dragons I was beginning to learn some things. Like for one) I was learning how to _feel _when other dragons were around. It was a lot like sensing for other demons but different. I was also learning how to tell where a dragons' territory began and where it ends.

I _felt_ another dragon approaching and flew _really_ close to the ground. I felt a tree brush my stomach and realized there was a forest underneath me. _/Wow… It's huge…/_

_/Duh! It's suppose to be! We're dragons after all/_ I studied the new dragon. He was a bright green and didn't have front legs. His wings were his front limbs. His front claws extended slightly farther then his wings. He studied me with his own curious look in his bright amber colored eyes. I glanced at his tail and saw it had a spike at the end so it was like a spear.

_/I've never seen a dragon like you before./_ he said.

_/I could say the same./_

He made a high pitched squawk noise that I guessed was a laugh. _/But Wyverns are all over the place! What are you? A hatchling/_

_/Hn./_ I kept an eye on the Wyvern.

_/So… I'm Kippichin. What's your name/_

I hesitated. This dragon was smaller then me. _/Hiei./_

_/Hiei, huh? What type of dragon are you--/ _Suddenly Kippichin disappeared into a tree.

I flared out my wings so it caught the wind and I could hover in the air. I looked at the green Wyvern as he struggled to get out of the tree. _/Darn it! I can't--/_ I watched as he struggled to use his wings to get out of the tree. He finally used his clawed wings to help him perch on a branch. _/I meant to do that./_ His tail flicked back and forth casually.

_/You're an idiot./ _I couldn't help but say.

He ignored me. _/So, Hiei, what's in your chamber/_

I growled, annoyed. What the hell was it with these dragons? _/Nothing./_

His wings flared partway then folded against him. My guess was he was shrugging… Like if you were to shrug your shoulders. _/Okay./_

I turned around and continued to fly. I glanced back to see Kippichin watching me. He tilted his head when he heard Matt's stomach growl. _/Heh. It seems your friend in there's hungry./_

_/I can catch my own food./_

He bared his fangs in a grin. _/I'm sure you could with claws like those but the only food you'll find around here for a few miles is fish./_

_/Hn./_

_/I'll tell you what. You can stay with me for a while. You know, rest up, get some food and in return I can travel with you./_

_/Tch. No thanks./_

Kippichin looked hurt. "Hiei? He looks younger then you…. He's too young to be without one of his parents around."

_/…Where're your parents/_

Kippichin suddenly seemed slightly distant. It didn't fit well with his personality so I knew whatever had happened was bad. _/……Dragon slayers……/_

"Dragon slayers! They're still around?" Matt sounded excited.

_/Since when have you understood dragons/ _I snapped.

"Er…"

Kippichin sighed. _/I'm on my own out here… I can't win against a dragon slayer if I run into one so I came here but the dragons are just as tough./_

"Hiei, let him come. If he's lasted in the North then he has to be able to fight. He could teach you in exchange for our company."

_/…/ _I thought it over. We could get out of this damn place and I could give my wings a break without worrying if we were going to be attacked.

……Well… I could worry _less_ about being attacked.

_/Fine. Kippichin, where's the fish you were talking about/_

Kippichin's eyes lit up. _/I can come! Yes! Okay, follow me/_


	24. But she's fluffy

Chapter 23: "Er… But she's fluffy…"

Kippichin stared intently at the waters surface. I watched. My wings were sore… really sore… _really, REALLY_ sore. I laid on my side, my tail flicking back and forth lazily.

Kippichin's tail shot into the water almost faster then my eyes could keep up. His tail lifted itself from the water and flicked, sending a few droplets of water onto the surface of the small pond, sending ripples throughout the surface.

_/There. That should be enough for all of us./_

_/Thanks…/_ I said reluctantly.

"Hiei, I want out."

_/No./_

"Hiei, if you do not let me out I swear I will… er…."

_/Hn. You're pathetic./_

"I'll change into my human form!"

I growled. _/Fine! Get yourself eaten, I don't care./_ I spit Matt out this time.

"Ew! Hiei! Gross! I'm covered in your spit!" I grinned evilly, baring my fangs.

_/Hn./_

_/Is that your friend/_ Kippichin asked.

_/That's my mother./_

_/But… she's fluffy./_

_/Adopted mother./_

_/Er… But she's fluffy…/_

"_So?_" Matt asked, sounding slightly annoyed. She hated being called fluffy.

_/Calm down./_

Kippichin stared at Matt for a moment. _/She looks so fluffy… I just want to…/ _I tensed, ready to fight Kippichin if I had to. _/I just want to pet her/_ He wrapped his tail around her and started licking her. _/She so cute/_

I stared as Kippichin licked Matt like a mother cat would a kitten. _/What the hell…/_

"Ack-! Hiei! Help meeee!" Matt struggled to get away.

I stared for a moment then laid down to go to sleep.


	25. Why the hell does stuff like this happen

Chapter 24: "Why the hell does stuff like this happen to me!"

After resting up and getting a decent meal we left again. Kippichin was able to negotiate with most of the dragons. As we landed to rest again after a few more hours of flying I caught myself wonder why the hell I was doing this again? I was a demon. Not a dragon. I wanted to become my demon self and go home to the Ningenkai.

_/What's wrong, Hiei/_ Kip asked. He had told me to call him Kip.

_/Nothing./_ I said. I didn't feel like talking. Kip shrugged his wings and took to the air again. He said he knew where the MeAni lived and he would take us there and in return we would give him a place to stay. I kinda liked Kip. He reminded me of Kurama in a way. Friendly until you got on his bad side. Then he was cut-throat. I followed him and after fifteen minute realized that the air was ice cold.

_/How long has it been this cold/ _I asked.

_/Just now. We're entering ice dragon territory…/_

_/Great…/_ I hated the cold… and I didn't think we would get along with these dragons. I flexed my claws, trying to get some feeling back in them. Kip looked back at me.

_/Stay close./_

_/Hn./_ I felt watched and Kip warning me just confirmed my fears. I looked at the giant ice volcanoes and mountains and saw something move. _/What the hell…/ _I stared at the icy wall and didn't blink.

Kip noticed I had stopped following him. _/Hiei! Come--/_ Kip snarled in pain and as I turned to see why I saw the same movement I had earlier.

I turned just in time to face my own attacker. It was a dragon that looked as if it was made of ice. The dragon tilted her wings so the sun reflected off of them and into my eyes. I growled and blinked quickly only to feel fangs bite into my neck.

_/Damn it/_ I folded my wings and dropped to the ground. _/Why the hell does stuff like this happen to me/ _I flared my wings and pulled up from the ground. I heard the sound of the ice dragon hitting the ground and smirked.

_/Are you nuts! You could of crashed too/_ Kip flew along side me now.

_/Nobody's willing to take risk like me./_

_/It would of hurt. You do realize that, right/_

_/Pain's nothing to me./_

"Well, Hiei, I seemed to have heard you whine enough when you get shot or something." Matt said.

_/I can spit you out now and leave you behind, how's that sound/_

"No!" I tilted my wings, sensing the two dragon coming up behind us and turned sharply.

_/Hiei, what the hell are you--/_

The only thing the ice dragon realized was she was about to fly right into me. As she went to dive under me I dropped down right on top of her, slamming her into the ground. I took flight again and went to take care of the second dragon that was chasing Kip.

Kip was talented with his wings, I'll give him that. He was outdoing the ice dragon at everything. I flew up next to the dragon and then he folded his wings and rolled right into me. _/What the--/_ We went down in a tumble and as we fell the dragon bit and clawed me.

_/Pull up! Pull up/_ Kip shouted. I couldn't get loose. The dragon pulled away and up and I started flapping my wings to slow my fall. Then the dragon spit ice at me.

_/WHAT THE HELL/_ I tried to react quickly but this wasn't my old body. The one where I could move so quickly I could practically disappear. I folded my wings but as I did my right wing was hit and frozen. _/DAMN IT/_ I tried to warm my body up but I couldn't summon the fire. As I fell I tried to land like I normally would. I threw my back leg out and flared out my left wing but that just threw me off. And there was no more time to react.

I braced myself and then suddenly felt something grab me around my chest and stomach. I looked up, expecting to see Kip but there was a huge ice dragon there, holding me in his back talons.

_/Enough./_ he said and the dragons stopped. _/I have an old friend among these dragons./_

"Hiei! Spit me out!"

_/We're about fifty feet in the air. You have to wait./_

_/Hiei, what the hell's going on/ _Kip asked.

_/I don't know./_ I replied.

_/Don't worry, kits. Hold still, Dark One. I'll take care of your wing./_

'Dark One'? I liked Master of the Dark Flame more… _/Er… Alright…/_

The ice on my wing melted and I flared it then folded it. I looked up at the dragon and blinked. It was probably the biggest dragon I've seen yet. _/It is alright, young ones. You need not worry now. You are safe./_

The dragon set me down on the ground and I shook off like a cat. I flapped my wings a few times and studied the dragon.

"Hiei! Let me out now!" Matt shouted. Everyone looked at me. I didn't want to be the center of attention so I quickly spit Matt out. "About time!"

_/shut up…/ _I mumbled.

The dragon that saved me looked at Matt. _/Hello, Azure…/_

"Hyoshin…" Matt said then grinned.


	26. Friend or Enemy

Chapter 25: "Friend or an enemy?"

Next thing I really knew I was resting by a giant ice cave with a few wary ice dragons watching me. Kip walked over and curled up next to me. The closeness made me slightly twitchy.

_/Calm down… It would be better if we stayed close. You know it too./_

_/True. But it would also be easier to take us out./_

_/Would you rather I go and they take us out while we're separated or have me watch your back while you watch mine/_ Kip asked.

_/……alright you can stay./_ I said and relaxed a little more.

_/Besides, we're brothers now./_

I looked at Kip. _/Says who/_

_/Matt. She told me to call her 'Mom'./_

I looked at Matt, who was sitting by Hyoshin. _/She's too trusting…/ _Kip growled, thinking I meant it about him. _/Not you. It's Hyoshin that I don't trust…/_

_/Don't trust things of ice…/ _Kip stated. _/Especially since they can hide anywhere in their territory… It's like a stupid chameleon…/_

I looked at him and grinned, baring my fangs. _/I have ice demon in me./_

_/Matt did tell me you're actually a fire demon. I still don't completely understand but I get the idea./_ Kip sighed.

_/I still don't completely get it…/_ I said simply.

_/And about the ice demon thing…/_ Kip started.

_/Forget it. I don't completely trust myself, Kip./_ I said.

Kip remained silent for a moment. _/I trust you… I just realized it./_

I looked at Matt one more time. _/Just be careful who you trust. Even with me…/_

_/It's not like you're an evil bad guy or a dragon slayer./_

_/I was a bad guy./_

_/'Was'. Past tense. I've got nothing to worry about. G' night./ _

_/Night./_

The next day I looked up to see this ice dragon in my face. I growled and se backed up. It was the one who had attacked me.

_/Sorry…_/ she mumbled.

_/Hn./_ I looked around and noticed Kip was gone. _/Where's--/_

_/He went hunting. He said he'd be back in a while./_

_/Oh./ _I sat up and flicked my wings, clearing them of ice. _/I hate the cold…./_

_/Why? You obviously have it in you or it wouldn't be so happy to be with you./_

_/…Whatever./_

_/And they say ice dragons are cold./_

_/Hn./_ I started walking away then…… noticed her following. I turned and looked at her.

_/I'm Hyokinshi. What's your name/_

_/You don't need to know that./_

"Hiei!" Matt called.

_/Hiei, huh/_

_/Damn./_ I said.

_/Hehehe./ _she giggled. She trotted past me. I looked at Matt.

_/Can we go/_ She shook her head. _/Can we please go/_

"No, Hiei. Hyoshin and me have so much catching up to do!"

_/Then can we come back for you/_

"No! You're staying here until I'm ready to go!"

_/Hn. You wish. I'll just come back for you later./_

"You're just jealous!"

I stopped and looked at Matt. _/Of what/_

"Hyoshin. You're jealous. I know you are."

_/Of him? There's nothing to be jealous of./_

"Sure there is. There's a lot of things to be jealous of. He hot, strong, better than you."

_/He's NOT better than me./_

"Sure he is. He's--"

_/He's NOT better than me./_

"Oh, really?"

_/Yeah, 'really'./_

"Tch." Matt trotted over to Hyoshin and snuggled up to him and for some reason it pissed me off. I took flight and landed on a cliff so Matt couldn't reach me. It wasn't Matt that got to me. No matter what she did I was use to it. It was Hyoshin that got me. I sat up on the cliff, plotting ways to get rid of the look Hyoshin had. It was like he thought he was better than me! Hn, as if anyone was better than me…

I heard Matt whining and ignored it, falling into a light sleep. Kip was talking to her. She would be fine.

_/The problem is…/_ I thought to myself. _/I can't tell if he's a friend or an enemy……/_


	27. I HATE fangirls

Chapter 26: "I _HATE_ fan girls…"

I sat up, noticing Matt wasn't among the dragons bellow. _/Hey, Kip/_

_/Yeah/_ Kip's reply was sleepy.

_/Where's Matt/_

_/Um…/ _He sounded awake now. _/Dunno. I'll look bellow you look from above, mmkay/_

_/Alright./ _I took flight and started looking for Matt. Okay, I'm guessing by now you know that she's not the normal 'mother' type.

…even for an adopted mother.

I _always _had to keep an eye on her. Remember how I mentioned in the beginning that she was immature? Told you. One thing I noticed was how I saw every detail from up here. I could see every rock, flake of snow and shard of ice from here. My eyesight was terrific but I couldn't find Matt.

After flying all over and outside of the ice dragon's territory we didn't find any sign of her. _/Where the hell is she/ _I growled.

_/Calm down, Hiei. Maybe one of the dragons have seen her./_ Kip said, looking around nervously. I recognized the twitchy movements from somewhere else but where…? My tail flicked as I thought.

……Naoko glancing over her shoulder whenever she knew something bad was about to happen. Kurama's twitchy nervous movements whenever there was an enemy on the loose. Youko Kurama's twitchy silver fox-ears catching sound from everywhere.

_/Kip? What do you sense/_ I asked.

_/H-huh? Who says-- Damn. Hiei, something bad is about to happen… I don't know what though./_ His tail flicked back and forth nervously. _/Nothing escapes you, does it/_

_/I'm paranoid therefore notice every little detail about someone or something./_ I glanced around, wishing for the millionth time that I was a demon again.

_/Noticed. You're 'beyond help paranoid'./_ I stopped and looked at Kip, making sure he saw my annoyance.

A strange voice spoke up. _/I thought it was a 'cute paranoid'/_

This time Kip cowered when he saw the annoyance that flashed across my face. _/Don't hurt her. She's Hyoshin's daughter./_

_/Hn./_ I turned and glared at her. _/What/_

_/Huh. No hello? Where's your manners/_

_/I never learned them. What do you want/_ I knew she heard the coldness in my voice.

_/Maybe you should learn them. I can teach you./_

It was after the Dark Tournament all over again. I knew that second how this was going to end. _/No./_

_/That was some nice flying back there. You fought pretty well. Clever turning on us like that./_

_/Hn./_

_/You're different from most of us. I've never seen a dragon use that move before. You know… it was pretty cool. I think if you were to enter some of the flying competitions you would have a lot of fans… I'd be your biggest one of course./_ She said.

I was right. Dark Tournament all over again. I hated fan girls… _/Go away and leave me alone./_

_/Aww… don't be like that./_

_/Like what? I want you to leave. Now before I hurt you./_

_/You hurt me? Hah. Come on… Darkness and ice go together…/_

_/I'm warning you…/_ I was _really_ annoyed now.

_/Tch. Make me go away./ _I glared at her.

_/Fine./_ I said simply.

Her tail flicked and she walked away. I blinked. _/I thought you had to make her./ _Kip said.

I looked around. _/Hey… Hyoshin's missing too./_ I was silent for a moment. _/Damn it! Hyoshin's taken Matt off somewhere./_

_/So/_

_/You don't get it. It's not only my enemies I worry about. I know she has almost as many enemies as I do. He could kill her easily while she's in that form./_

_/I'll start looking around-- Hyokinshi's back./_

I turned around, ready to kill someone now. As soon as I turned her tail whipped around and I felt something click around my neck. _/What the hell--/_ I heard Hyokinshi start reciting a spell. _/Kip! Stop her from--/_ I knew magic when I heard it. Naoko knew how to use it and I've fought more then my share of demons who could use magic. Kip growled and went to attack Hyokinshi but it was too late.

_/Hiei! Kill him./_

It's hard to recall but I knew what was going on at the moment. My body moved swiftly to intercept Kip's attack. We both went rolling across the ground. Kip struggled to get me off of him but he didn't have the powerful front legs I did. He snarled in pain as I bit into his neck and the shoulders of his wings.

_/Kill him, Hiei-pet/ _The part of me that still knew what was going on swore to kill Hyokinshi. I didn't care if it was painful or quick I just wanted her dead. The last time I heard someone call me that I was two years old.

_/Hiei! Snap out of it/_ he used his back legs to kick me off. _/I mean it! If you bite me one more time--uuf/_ I leapt at Kip again, tackling him to the ground. He scrambled away and took flight. My wings flapped twice and I went up after him.

Kip could out fly me and out fight me. He chose to out fly me. _/Hiei! Snap out of it. I don't want to hurt you! Matt told me about how you have a family and-- WHOA/_ I rolled as an ice dragon spat ice at Kip. Flaring my wings, I stopped my roll and looked around to see where Kip went. He was hovering in mid-air, watching the other dragon.

I roared and flew at Kip. He spun around and snarled but he moved too slow. I flew right into him and we both started falling to the ground.

As Kip hit the ground I threw my weight down, making the impact hurt even worse. Kip didn't get back up.

_/Bravo, Hiei-pet. Bravo./_ Hyokinshi said, walking over.

I couldn't talk. It pissed me off more that I couldn't insult her. A familiar scent caught on the wind.

"Hiei! What happened here!" Matt cried.

Hyokinshi stared at Matt. _/Where's my father/_

"He's gone."

Hyokinshi growled. _/Kill her, Hiei-pet/_

I couldn't break whatever spell she had on me. I growled and leapt over to Matt. She obviously wasn't expecting it. "What the hell--! Hiei! Stop!"

I snapped Matt up into my jaws and swallowed. I walked over to a small pool of water and swallowed a few mouthfuls. "Hiei! Stop!" Matt coughed.

_/Good job, Hiei-pet. Now…/_ she purred and started walking over to me. I felt disgusted. I couldn't break control over this stupid spell. If only I could break the collar. There was a gem on the back that was probably holding the power of the spell.

_I'm sorry, everyone…_ I thought silently. _I failed._ My tail twitched, then whipped around, shattering the gem on the collar.

_/What! No/ _Hyokinshi cried.

The collar fell off and I spit Matt out. Matt recovered quickly enough to see me turn on Hyokinshi. I caught sight of Matt covering her eyes as Hyokinshi took flight and I followed. Hyokinshi was fast but while her body was built more for camouflage mine was built for speed. I easily caught up with her. I flew up about ten feet above her and folded my wing tightly against my body. I cut through the air quickly and grabbed her wings with my claws. Digging my claws into scales and flesh Hyokinshi roared in pain. We both fell to the ground but as with Kip I made sure _I_ controlled the fall. When we hit the ground I threw my weight down and heard a satisfying crack that told me I broke her wings.

_/No! Wait--/_

_/Nobody controls me./ _I said, then delivered the killing blow.

After a moment of silence I looked at Matt, who still had her paws covering her eyes. _/It's okay now…/_

"Is she…?"

I remained silent for a moment. _/Yeah. I told you I HATE fan girls…/_


	28. What the hell

Chapter 27: "What the hell?"

Kip was flying next to me on our way home. _/How's Matt gonna get home/_

I shrugged. _/I don't know and at this point don't care./_ I said. I was sore and wanted to sleep. I was tired and still felt sick from trying to fight the magic. Kip decided to stay at Mik's for a while because I injured one of his wings. I sighed.

_/Hiei/ _Sora called telepathically.

_/Sora? Is that you/_

_/Yeah! I'm coming home--/_

_/Do you need me to come and get you/_ I asked.

She laughed. _/No. I can get home. I'll see you soon/_

_/Yeah./ _I said and started flying faster.

_/Hiei! Duck/_ I dropped a few feet by reaction and looked around. Suddenly I saw the biggest dragon I had seen yet. It was a light blue ice dragon. I growled, wondering if one of them had followed me.

_/Don't you growl at me, Mister! Is that anyway to treat your mother/_ Matt scolded me.

_/What the hell!/_ I stared at the dragon long and hard. It flew down and looked at me with crimson eyes like mine.

_/Watch your language, Hiei/_ Matt scolded me again.

_/It is you! But-- how come-- I mean--/ _I paused to organize my thoughts._ /Why the hell didn't I know this sooner/_

_/Watch your language! Unless you want to be grounded…/_

_/No. But why didn't you tell me this sooner/_I asked coldly.

_/You never asked./_ I wanted to growl and normally I would have set something of hers on fire but since I didn't have control over fire or anything else at the moment I couldn't do that.

I sighed… then things made a turn for the worse for me. I closed my eyes as I was flying only for a second to try and straighten things out in my mind. I took a few deep breaths and then I felt my dragon instincts gain control.

_No, no, no! Not now…! _I thought in a panic, trying to win the war inside of me. I was tired of it. That dragon wasn't me and it wasn't going to win over me. As I lost and felt the dragon gain control I wondered if this was what it was like for Naoko when her Youko would try to gain control.

The dragon was me for the moment. I flew up, flying under Matt's right wing. I felt safe and protected and wondered if this is what you were suppose to feel like as a child. My demon self got bored and I guess the best way to put it is I slept while the dragon had his fun.

The dragon relinquished his control when we got home, leaving me to land. I threw my back legs out and landed roughly. I sensed another dragon close by but her presence seemed familiar. I turned and growled but saw (who I instantly recognized) Sora. She was a beautiful white dragon with blue swirl markings all over her except for the pure white feathered wings that were folded against her back. As I looked closer I noticed she had fur instead of scales.

_/Wow…/_ I said.

_/Hi Hiei/ _she said happily.

_/Yo./_ I said simply. Sora tackled me and I noticed I was at least five feet bigger then her. She purred and rubbed against me like a cat would.

_/Miss me/_

_/Yeah. Did you miss me/_

_/Yup. Hiei? When do you plan to go home? You know… to your other home/ _she asked. Her question surprised me. I had been too busy to really think about my fears or worries.

What if I couldn't change back? What would I do then? I controlled my fear and panic. _/I… don't know./_

Sora looked at me, worried, for a moment. _/Come on. Let's get some dinner./_

_/Okay./_ I knew it was her way of trying to get me to stop worrying. _/I'll be there in a minute./_ She ran inside and I looked at Matt.

………It was time to get some answers.


	29. Just a nightmare

Chapter 28: "Just a nightmare…"

Matt explained that because of her I was what was known as a '_Dragon Knight'_. Because she was the leader of these Dragon Knights (she was called the Azure Knight) that made me her heir. I laid curled up in my room thinking about everything I had learned.

"I'm a Dragon Knight and you are too!" I remember her saying happily.

I was still confused. "... What in Makai are you talking about?"

"Well, There was a dragon who once fell in love with a human and thus a half dragon was created. We're the descendents of that half dragon. We're from the Azure clan."

Matt told me that the half dragon had four sons. And each son split into four clans. Azure, Garnet, Bisque, and Viridian. Ours was the Azure. The four clans went to war and the Garnet clan was wiped out... If I'm remembering this correctly. At the moment Matt was the Azure Knight, the leader of the Azure clan.

I sighed and fell into an uneasy sleep.

_I was standing… it actually felt more like I was floating… in the middle of what looked like the remains of a battlefield. There were bodies of dragons, demons, humans, everything. I walked… or floated… among the battlefield wondering what had happened. What had caused a battle this big?_

_I looked among the bodies, praying this wasn't like the many other nightmares I've had. I saw faces of those I cared for. They had died for some cause… I felt cold and empty as I continued to wander around. I saw one person standing among the bodies and ruins. I quickly went to see who survived this battle._

_What I saw scared me. I was standing there, soaked in blood. I was staring at my claws, smirking more evilly then I ever had. My fangs were longer and more evil-looking and my black and red bat-like wings were half-way flared and the wingspan bigger._

_It was so much like the dreams I have had but yet so different… It… felt more real then any of my dreams would…_

I woke up, scrambling to my feet. I felt closed in and opened the window as quickly as I could. I leaned halfway out of it then after a moment realized something.

……I was in my normal demon form again. I laughed happily then realized I needed clothes. I teleported inside and got dressed in one of my spare outfits. I felt awkward and unbalanced. "No tail…" I muttered. "Tail means balance and there no tail…"It was strange being in my normal form but at the same time it made me forget my dream. "It was just a nightmare…" I mumbled before going outside to adjust to my old body.


	30. Favorite sleeping spot

Chapter 29: "Favorite sleeping spot?"

I walked inside and stopped in my tracks as Vash pointed a gun at my head. "Who…-- Hiei?" he asked.

I already had my gun pressed against Vash's chest. "Yup. I'm back to normal. …At least probably what can be considered 'normal' for me." I said.

Vash laughed and lowered his gun and I hid mine in my cloak again. "I almost shot you," he said and went back to washing the dishes.

"No you didn't. You won't pull the trigger unless it's Knives on the other end." I folded my arms and leaned against a wall. "And not even then."

"Or if it's you, Shorty."

"Hn." I glared at him and walked into the living room.

"Hiei? W-What happened!" Matt asked.

"I don't know." I blinked. "I just woke up this way."

Matt went to tackle me but I side-stepped avoiding her. "But- but- but what about my favorite sleeping spot!" she cried.

"'Favorite sleeping spot?'" I repeated questioningly.

"You know! Your chamber!" I thought for a moment. Matt must of seen that I got it. "Yeah! You get it!" she said.

"……You scare me sometimes. I worry about you," I said then walked away.

She followed. "Whaaaaat…?"

"Nothing."

"What?" she continued.

"Hn."

"You better answer me, mister!" she threatened.

"Okay, fine." I stopped and looked at her. "You're a freak." I turned and continued walking.

"What?" she growled at me.

"So… now what?" I asked quietly. "I don't want to go home until I fix this… and staying here's doing nothing…" I sighed and teleported to the Geoplant where it all started.

I drew my gun and spun it around my finger. I started softly singing a song that I believe is sung by Bon Jovi. "And I'm wanted… dead or alive…" It was slightly true. On Gunsmoke I had a bounty on me. Less then Vash's but more then Matt's. All because of this stupid Plant blood… I tried to shake the song from my head and leapt into a tree, landing perfectly.

After a few minutes and some swearing at Naoko for introducing me to ningen music I finally managed to get rid of the song. I closed my eyes, enjoying the warmth.

I must have fallen asleep.

_The dream seemed broken apart… Like flashes from different scenes. The battlefield. A Dragon Knight with long maroon colored hair. Knives holding a needle. Matt standing with a shocked expression on her face as I ran my sword through her. A giant maroon dragon roaring then pain shooting through my chest._

I sat up and gasped. The pain in my chest felt real but the moment I woke up it was gone. "What the hell's wrong with me…?" I shook my head, trying to get the images to fade. I didn't want to be around anyone now. I decided to stay in the Geoplant, alone. I sighed and slammed the back of my head against the tree I was in. "I hate not knowing what to do…. And I hate it more when I feel I'm not in control…" I was going to gain control now. I focused on my hand, staring at my claws, willing them to grow like they did when I had my wings.

I closed my eyes and flexed my fingers and my finger got a prickly feeling, like when a limb falls asleep. I opened my eyes to my longer claws. After a while I managed to change them back. "Alright… now for something harder…."

It took me about an hour to master getting my wing and making them disappear. After I got tired I flew home. When I walked inside I sighed and fell onto the couch.

Matt walked in. "Hey, where've you been?"

"…I guess it could be counted as training…" I mumbled.

"Aww, Hiei, you didn't go pick fights again, did you?" Vash wondered, walking into the room.

"No, not today." I closed my eyes. "I'm going to sleep…" _No more nightmares… I have enough problems as it is…_ I thought before falling into a dreamless sleep.


	31. The MeAni

Chapter 30: "The MeAni."

I woke up the next day to see Matt right in front of my face. I sat up, blinking. "What time is it?" I asked, trying to hide my surprise.

"About noon. You were out of it, Hiei. I've been trying to wake you for an hour now." Matt said.

"Really?" I tried to remember a time when I had been that deep in sleep and couldn't think of any other time except this. "….huh."

"So… are you awake now?" Matt asked.  
I gave her a look. "Not completely, no."

"ZOMBIE!" she cried and jumped on me. I growled and caught her in my blanket, trapping her in there.

"GOTCHA!" I said, smirking. I tied the blanket closed and walked out, Matt's muffled cries stopping once I closed the door.

I walked out to the kitchen, grabbing a bowl of cereal and walking outside like I normally did. I sat on the front steps, staring down the road, eating my breakfast quickly and silent. I always ate quickly and it would earn me a scolding from Naoko because I choked more thenhalf the time.

I got up and put the empty bowl in the kitchen. I sighed, walking back outside. I had to get control over these new instincts. Matt walked out, having chewed through my blanket.

"I should--" she began.  
"Let's go. We're going to find the MeAni." I said.  
"What? Really?" I nodded. "But… you're not even in your dragon form."

I stopped. "I'll change then."

Matt stared at me. I felt a nervous feeling in my stomach but ignored it and locked it up with hundreds of years of practice. "But… I thought you wanted your human form back."

"I want control more. Bad things happen when I don't have control."

"You're telling me! You eat me!"

"Hn. Hurry up and let's go."

After what felt like and eternity I manage to change. I grabbed Matt, swallowing her quickly. The flight to and through the North was pretty easy. I figured out if I flew fast and close to the ground I was next to invisible. We finally made it to MeAni territory…

I landed on a cliff, looking around. My jet black scales blended into the dark colored ground and the red in my wings and chest would match the sky.

I spit Matt out and started looking around. I didn't see any dragons but of course… I didn't notice the shadows rising up from the ground behind me either.

"Uh…. H-Hiei…?" Matt stammered. I glanced back at her, then blinked. Shadows were taking on the shape of a big dragon and honestly, I felt very small compared to it.

_/Uh oh…./_ I said, grabbing Matt by her scruff and getting ready to take flight. I flapped my wings a few times and easily took to the air. The dragon followed and forced me to the ground.

I kept making small mewing or chirping noises. I wasn't exactly sure why. The dragon was so much bigger than me and it was easily controlling where I went.

I finally folded my wings and dived to the ground, flaring them at the last moment to stop myself from crashing into the ground. Then the dragon landed right behind me, pinning me to the ground with one paw. I snarled and fought. When the dragon pinned me Matt had fallen from my reach. I hissed at the dragon… and it pressed its tail against my snout to get me to shut up.

_/Silence, kit. You do NOT fight your elders like that./_

I grew still and quiet, mewing softly.

_/Better. Now… Will you behave/_ I nodded. _/Alright. I will let you go then./_ She lifted her paw and I scrambled to my feet, running over to pick up Matt, who was shaking.

_/Who are you/ _I asked, flaring my wings out to make myself look bigger (it was all instincts that made me do stuff like that) and crouched low to the ground.

_/The MeAni Elder. Peace, Kit… I mean you no harm. It is alright./_

I relaxed a bit. _/MeAni Elder/_

_/Yes, Kit. I am the oldest MeAni and I am the clan leader./_ She said, a purring noise in her throat.

_/Oh. I think I get it./_ I replied.

_/Good. Come with me. There is much to discuss./_ she said and walked away. I hesitated, setting Matt on my back and following.


End file.
